Kenyan households will pay an extra Ksh500 to refill a 6 kilogramme Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), just over a month after prices fell below Ksh1,000 in most outlets.
A spot-check on Wednesday revealed that vendors in Nairobi and Nakuru counties had raised their prices from Ksh950 to Ksh1,400.
In Nakuru, retailers have raised the price of 3kg petrol to Ksh650, 6kg (Ksh1,400), and 13kg (Ksh3,200).
Gas price increases will put additional strain on households already struggling with high food and power costs.
Prices are lower in areas along Waiyaki Way, such as Uthiru, 87, Kinoo, Muthiga, and its environs, with customers paying Ksh1,200 for a 6kg cylinder, Ksh3,160 for a 13kg cylinder, and Ksh550 for a 3kg cylinder.
The price increases come at a time when paraffin, which is mostly used by low-income households, has risen above the means of most families.
Prices in Kihunguro and Ruiru start at Ksh1,200 for a 6kg cylinder, Ksh3,160 for a 13kg cylinder, and Ksh550 for a 3kg cylinder.
According to a vendor, the sharp increase in cooking gas prices was caused by the September increase in fuel prices.
“The gas prices are linked with fuel so when it hikes, the gas hikes. Initially, we sold a 6kg cylinder for around Ksh2,200 and the utmost Ksh2,400. Now the prices have hiked to an all-time high,” one of the vendors told a local media.
Prices in August were Ksh500 for a 3kg cylinder, Ksh950 for a 6kg cylinder, and Ksh2,500 for a 13 kg cylinder.
At the time, the drop in cooking gas prices below Ksh1,000 for a 6kg cylinder was attributed to the government’s removal of Value Added Taxes (VAT) on LPG gas in order to promote clean energy.
The Cabinet has approved a proposal to further reduce LPG taxes, which will likely lower prices as the country embraces green energy.
