EPRA’s unjustified fuel hikes deepen economic misery
By David Kipkorir, July 18, 2025The Kenyan government, through the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), has once again unleashed a vicious assault on its citizens by hiking fuel prices, deepening the economic misery of an already overburdened taxpayer.
In its latest act of betrayal, EPRA has increased petrol prices by Sh8.99 per litre, while diesel and kerosene have surged by Sh8.67 and Sh9.65 per litre, respectively. These hikes, far from being justified by global market trends, are a deliberate act of exploitation by a regime that is dishonest, abusive, and utterly disconnected from the realities faced by ordinary Kenyans.
At a time when global oil prices are declining, this move is nothing short of economic sabotage. The claim that these price increases are tied to global trends is a blatant lie. International Energy Agency reports and global market data confirm that crude oil prices have been on a downward trajectory, with Brent crude trading at around $70-$80 per barrel in recent months, a significant drop from the peaks of 2022.
Yet, EPRA, with the government’s complicity, has raised pump prices for petrol, diesel, and kerosene, citing nebulous “market adjustments” and “logistical costs”.
This is a calculated deception. If global oil prices are falling, why are Kenyans being forced to pay more? The answer lies not in economics but in a regime that has abandoned its people, choosing to fleece them to fund its own profligacy. The impact of these hikes is immediate and catastrophic.
For the average Kenyan, fuel is not a luxury but a necessity that powers survival. Matatu operators, the backbone of public transport, must now pass these costs onto commuters, driving up fares and making it harder for workers to afford their daily commute.
Small-scale traders already battered by inflation and shrinking margins, face higher transportation costs that erode their livelihoods. Farmers, reliant on diesel-powered machinery, are squeezed further, pushing up food production costs and worsening hunger in a country where millions are already food-insecure.
Kerosene, a staple for low-income households, is now even less affordable, plunging families into deeper hardship. Every shilling added to fuel prices is a shilling stolen from the Kenyan taxpayer’s ability to survive. What makes this betrayal even more outrageous is the government’s refusal to acknowledge the human toll of its actions.
President William Ruto’s administration rode into power on promises of uplifting the “hustler” economy, yet these fuel price hikes are a direct attack on that very hustler.
The government’s silence, coupled with EPRA’s robotic justifications, reveals a regime that is not only out of touch but actively complicit in its people’s suffering. The Kenya Kwanza administration’s rhetoric of economic transformation is exposed as hollow when its policies systematically impoverish the citizens it claims to empower.
EPRA’s role in this scandal is unforgivable. Tasked with regulating the energy sector, it has instead become a willing accomplice in the government’s exploitation of Kenyans. The price hikes were imposed without meaningful public consultation or transparency.
The pricing formula remains a mystery, a black box of numbers that Kenyans are expected to accept blindly. Where is the accountability? Where are the public hearings to justify these increases?
EPRA is not a regulator but a collaborator, working hand-in-hand with a regime that prioritises revenue over the welfare of its citizens.
Kenyans are not ATMs for a greedy regime. They are the heart and soul of this nation, and they will not be exploited forever.
The writer is a Communication Consultant