NAIROBI, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Kenya will forge on with its fuel subsidy program despite the global disruption of supply of the commodity that has pushed up prices putting a strain on the initiative as the country faces a major fuel crisis, a government official said Thursday.
Monica Juma, the acting cabinet secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining, said the government will continue with fuel stabilization to ensure that Kenya's prices remain the cheapest in sub-Saharan Africa. "As of today, 426 million U.S. dollars has been disbursed to oil marketing companies under the petroleum pump price stabilization," she told journalists in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
Kenya is currently battling a fuel shortage crisis that has threatened to ground its economy, with citizens spending hours at gas stations in search of the commodity. Juma assured that normal supply will be restored in the local market in 72 hours, with the oil marketing companies having been directed to redesignate part of their transit stocks to the local market.
She said the country had adequate stocks of petroleum and petroleum products to meet its monthly demand.
The fuel prices rose further in Kenya Thursday, with gas and diesel prices increasing by 9 U.S. cents to retail at 1.25 dollars and 1.09 dollars, respectively, in Nairobi. ■
