Petrol prices are set to come down by Ksh.1 per litre from Saturday after the latest maximum pump price review by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
Diesel and kerosene costs have also come down by Ksh.2 and Ksh.1 respectively as the government retains the cushion of the subsidy on the two fuel products.
Subsequently, the cost of super petrol is set to ease slightly to Ksh.178.30 in the capital Nairobi as diesel costs fall to Ksh.163.
Meanwhile, the cost of kerosene drops to Ksh.146.94 per litre.
Despite pledging to end the costly subsidies last month, the new administration has been forced to retain the cushion.
Petrol consumers are to carry the burden of subsidizing the cost of diesel and kerosene in a departure from the norm as the government strives to keep diesel and kerosene prices below September’s peak.
According to new data from EPRA on the price stabilization mechanism, petrol users will pay Ksh.7.48 to subsidize the
cost of diesel and kerosene as the stabilization of diesel and kerosene stands at a deficit of Ksh.4.44 and Ksh.13.06 respectively.
“A subsidy of Ksh.18.15 per litre and Ksh.27.47 per litre has been maintained for diesel and kerosene respectively in order to cushion consumers from otherwise high prices,” EPRA said in a statement Friday night.
The slight relief at the pump nevertheless sits below the expectations of Kenyans after a 10 per cent drop in the average landed cost of products in September.
Data obtained by Citizen Digital for instance showed a drop in the landed cost of petrol from Ksh.111,326 per metric tonne ($920.05) to Ksh.99,293 ($820.6) between August and September.
The landed cost of diesel and kerosene was meanwhile down by 5.6 and 9.32 per cent respectively.
Last month, super petrol prices rose by Ksh.20.18 per litre on the complete withdrawal of subsidies on the product.
Meanwhile, consumers were spared from an even larger increase from the partial retention of subsidies on diesel and kerosene whose prices rose by Ksh.25 and Ksh.20 per litre.