Kenyan motorists rush for cheaper Ugandan fuel

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Kenyan motorists rush for cheaper Ugandan fuel
Kenyan motorists rush for cheaper Ugandan fuel

Africa-PressUganda. Several Kenyan motorists have resorted to fuelling their vehicles from Busia and Malaba in Uganda after prices of fuel hit a record high in their country.

The price of petrol in Kenya has increased from KShs127 (Shs4,191) to KShs135 (Shs4,455), diesel from KShs117 (Shs3,861) to KShs125 (Shs4,125) and Kerosene is at KShs113 (Shs3,729).

In Uganda, a litre of petrol at most outlets goes for Shs4,000, diesel goes for Shs3,500, while kerosene goes for Shs3,200.

This came as Kenya scrapped subsidies on fuel and a KShs8 (Shs240) tax on petrol, diesel, and kerosene.

The cheaper fuel on the Ugandan side is attracting motorists from Nakuru, Eldoret, Busia-Kenya, and Kisumu.

Mr Francis Muchina, a Kenyan truck driver, on Monday said: “The price of diesel has drastically increased back home. That is why I have to cross here and don’t suffer the cost of having to pay more.”

Mr Peter Ouma, a matatu (commuter taxi) operator at the Busia-Kenya stage, said many vehicles were now fuelling in Uganda while those that can’t cross the border were buying in jerrycans and ferrying them across the border.

“We are finding it hard to cross into Uganda to buy fuel because of the restrictions at the border. However, we send young men, who buy and deliver it here in jerrycans,” Mr Ouma said.

On Monday, a number of vehicles from Kenya queued up to refuel at Shell fuelling station on Jinja Road in Busia Town.

Ms Hadija Mutoni, a pump attendant, said:

“Currently, motorists from Kenya are our biggest customers. They are coming with trucks, saloon cars and motorcycles and are buying in large quantities.”

The high fuel prices in Kenya are already affecting transporters and passengers there.

Mr David Odwour, a bus conductor at the Busia-Kenya terminal, said they had been forced to increase their fares.

“We are forced to charge travellers from Busia to Nairobi KShs1,500 (Shs45,000), up from KShs1,000 (Shs33,000), but passengers are reluctant to pay,” Mr Odwour said.

He added that there could be a surge in prices of basic commodities, especially food, agricultural inputs and electricity, which are all driven by fuel prices.

However, Mr Dennis Nyangweso, the Samia Bugwe Central MP in Busia District, described the high fuel prices in Kenya as “an advantage to the Ugandan economy”, adding that when he was growing up, all essential commodities like fuel, soap, sugar, salt, and matchboxes were bought from Kenya.

“It seems the Ugandan economy is slowly growing and beginning to catch up with the Kenyan one which has been the dominant economy in the East African region,” Mr Nyangweso said.

He added that if production of oil in the Albertine region can be expedited, the Ugandan economy would take advantage of the rising fuel prices, which would come in as a cushion against the effects of the Covid-19.

Mr Sulaiman Benjura, a trader in Busia Town, said it was time Ugandans took advantage and increased production of essential goods that were on demand in Kenya.

Mr Benjura said a lot of detergents, sugar, milk, and construction materials from Uganda were finding their way into the Kenyan market which was never the case.

“Uganda is a landlocked country and gets most of her fuel supplies from Kenya. The low fuel prices in Uganda compared to Kenya is puzzling some Kenyan nationals,” he said.

Mr Jeff Macharia, a truck driver and resident of Nakuru in Kenya, said: “For a long time, Ugandans have been flocking to Kenya to buy cheap fuel and we are now wondering how the trend has reversed.”

Mr David Semu Okumu, a motorcycle rider from Busia-Kenya, said: “We are not only buying fuel from Uganda, but most basic utilities because they are cheap and pocket-friendly to low income earners like us.”

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