Motorists queue at a petrol station last week during the fuel shortage crisis (Image source: CFM)
By: Susan Nyawira
Motorists can now breathe a sigh of relief after the Ministry of Petroleum confirmed that normalcy in petroleum supplies has been restored in the country.
This is after almost two weeks of fuel shortage which saw motorists spend long hours in queues to get the commodity while some petrol stations turned away clients due to lack of fuel.
“By April 19, we can confirm that majority of petroleum retail stations across the country are carrying out business as normal and the long queues witnessed in the past two weeks are gone,” the Ministry said in a statement.
Further, the Ministry noted that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has commenced investigations on companies that were reported not to maintain minimum operational stocks or to hoard petroleum in the past 2 weeks.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) also noted that it is set to take stern action on four operators who offered petroleum for sale above the recommended price during the shortage period.
The stations were located at Migori, Kehancha, Awendo and Isebania respectively.
Last week, Energy and Petroleum CS Monica Juma blamed the shortage on oil marketing companies hoarding the product awaiting the mid-month review.
EPRA DG Daniel Kiptoo said ten oil marketing companies have received show-cause letters and face possible cancellation of licenses over the hoarding of the product.
Source: Capital Business
