Consumers will now pay an extra Sh5.05 for a litre of diesel. This marks the first time in five months the commodity’s price has increased by more than two shillings.
At the same time, the latest price review by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) may strain households more.
This is after the price of kerosene was raised by Sh1.40 per litre, compared to a Sh3.45 increase in the previous review.
Super petrol users escaped with a marginal reprieve after ERC cut the price by Sh0.74 per litre.
Weighted average
Taking into account the weighted average cost of imported petroleum products, a litre of diesel will now retail at Sh87.22 in Nairobi.
Households will require Sh63.56 for a litre of kerosene while petrol will be sold at Sh94.20.
The changes are despite the Free on Board price of Murban crude oil lifted in November being lower than that of previous month by more than Sh500 and the shilling remaining fairly stable.
“The Free on Board price of Murban crude oil lifted in November 2016 was posted at $46.15 (Sh4,703), a decrease of 10.13 per cent from $51.35 (Sh5,233) per barrel in October,” said ERC Director General Joseph Ng’ang’a.
According to ERC, the review that will run up to January 14 next year was because the average landed cost of diesel increased by 9.8 per cent from $435.46 (Sh44,429) in October to $478.11 (Sh48,780) per tonne in November.
During the same period, the landed cost of kerosene rose by 4.41 per cent to $500.45 (Sh51,007) as the price of a tonne of super petrol eased by 2.76 per cent to 503.93 (Sh51,361).
In the statement signed by Eng Ng’ang’a, residents in Mombasa, which is closest to the port, will now pay Sh90.80 for a litre of petrol.
For a similar quantity of diesel, they will part with Sh83.83 while kerosene will retail at a maximum of Sh60.71.
In contrast, the far-flung town of Mandera will incur the highest cost. Consumers will pay Sh108.01 for a litre of super petrol. Other major towns where a litre of petrol will be above Sh100 include Marsabit, Liboi, Wajir and Lokichogio.
Diesel has also crossed the Sh100 mark in Mandera and will retail at a maximum of Sh101.03, making it the only town where a litre of diesel will be above a dollar. In the same town, a litre of kerosene will cost Sh77.37.
