Oil marketers in Kenya are bracing for a possible stock-out of super petrol in Nairobi and Western region, attributed to unprecedented demand during the holiday period and power hitches along the main lines from the port of Mombasa.
In a circular by the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) they said they are currently experiencing erratic supply of MSP (Motor Spirit premium) in Nairobi and Western Kenya, occasioned by unprecedented demand for the grade coupled with a few power related challenges on all our mainlines.
However, the state agency did not disclose how long the existing stock will last.
Kenya consumes an estimated 165.45 million litres of super petrol every month, based on the latest figures from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
Consumption of diesel stands at 220.57 million litres a month, making it the main driver of the economy for transport and industries.
KPC’s acknowledgement of the uncertain days ahead comes amid fears that in the past there have been collusions to create artificial fuel shortages to justify high prices of diesel, super petrol, jet oil, kerosene and other fuels.
However, oil marketers have linked the looming shortage to the unscheduled discharge of a vessel ferrying super petrol last week.
The marketers, in a letter to the Ministry of Petroleum, say the ship that ferried super petrol for one of the local firms has pushed further the discharge of vessels that had been lined up at the port.
Kenya last month allowed importation of 30,000 metric tonnes (37.5 million litres) as private cargo, a decision that prompted delays of ships that had been scheduled to offload their cargo.
“Discharge of this cargo has pushed forward access of already firmed up PMS cargoes by up to five days, which exposes the industry to a PMS stock-out given the already constrained PMS stock position,” Rubis Energy Group managing director Jean Christian Bergerone .
The hitches come days before the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) releases the monthly pricing that runs from January 15 to February 15.
Read also; Kenya’s New KSh40 Billion Kipevu Oil Terminal Nears Completion.
