National Oil cuts diesel price per litre below Sh100

Nairobi motorists will buy diesel at under Sh100 for the first time in more than two years after National Oil cut prices at its outlets by a shilling.

The parastatal is now retailing diesel at Sh99.60 in Nairobi, down from the Energy Regulatory Commission’s maximum of Sh100.67. 

Diesel prices last stood below Sh100 in the Kenyan capital in August 2012, at Sh97.09. In the intervening period the prices per litre have ranged between Sh101 and Sh107.

Outlets in other towns will also offer the Sh1 discount. The firm has 102 filling stations.

“The price reduction comes at an opportune time for Kenyans at the onset of the busy farming season.  It is anticipated the benefit of the cost reduction will be passed on to Kenyans by commercial operators, including in the transport sector,” said the firm in a statement.

In April 2013, National Oil offered customers a two-week discount of Sh2 on diesel, which was then retailing at Sh107, while Vivo Energy offered Sh3 discount.

ERC on October 14 cut the price of diesel by 75 cents, putting the maximum price in Nairobi at Sh100.67, Mombasa Sh97.34, Nakuru Sh101.53, Eldoret Sh102.68 and Kisumu Sh102.74.

READ: ERC cuts fuel prices by small margin as crude hits 4-year low

Prices of petroleum products are expected to sharply come down in the next review, following a fall in crude price to below $85 a barrel in the international market.