Several towns in Kenya have been hit by major fuel shortages.
The north-western and western parts of the country are among the hardest hit regions.
There are also reports that some petrol stations in the capital, Nairobi, are turning away motorists after running out of fuel.
Sources say the crisis may have been triggered by reduced imports by big oil marketing companies – who are wary that they may not be promptly compensated for the government-subsidised prices they charge consumers.
But the country’s energy regulator has attributed shortages to logistical challenges and says it is engaging oil marketing firms to resolve the crisis.
The government usually compensates oil dealers so they can offer a lower price, but they say that they have not been paid for the past four months.
Independent dealers purchase stocks through the big oil marketers, who are now giving priority to their franchised outlets after reducing imports.
As a result, the independent dealers who supply rural areas, where big oil marketing firms don’t have large networks of dealers, have run out stock.
Kenya consumes 380 million litres of petrol and diesel every month, according to data from the regulator.
Source: BBC
