Senator Maina says Senate energy committee to push for lowering of fuel prices » Capital News

NYERI, Kenya, Sep 17 – Chairperson of the Senate Energy committee, Senator Ephraim Maina has vowed to ensure pump prices reviewed downwards following public anger over the rising cost of the commodity.

The Nyeri Senator who spoke in Mathira said on Friday said the government must implement price control to cushion Kenyans from exorbitant prices of essential commodities.

He termed the pump prices announced the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) on Tueday as unrealistic saying they were out of rich for most Kenyans.

“As a committee we have summoned Energy Cabinet Secretary Alfred Keter and his Petroleum counterpart John Munyes to shed light on what happened and why they want to implement such changes. I want to assure Kenyans that these prices will be reduced because we cannot allow Kenyans to suffer more in the face of COVID-19 tribulations,” Senator Maina said.

The lawmaker said the committee had been prevailing upon government officials in the ministries of energy and petroleum to avoid increasing fuel prices in a bid to cushion the public against the economic slowdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We as committee have been prevailing both ministries not to increase pump prices however this time no one sought our opinion and that is why as a country we are in this mess,” he said.

On implementation of price control, Senator Maina said that the government must expedite the regulatory framework to protect consumers.

“For a very long time Kenyans have had to bear with unregulated increase of essential commodities this must be dealt with through this law whose bill I sponsored in the tenth parliament,” said Maina.

Fuel prices increased by a Sh9.5 average with petrol and diesel selling at Sh135 and 115 respectively in Nairobi.