An acute shortage of paraffin has
hit parts of western Kenya as filling stations in Kakamega and Mumias town have
run out of supplies from Saturday leaving households without fuel to cook and
light.
In Kakamega town, National Oil,
Kenol and Somken petrol stations along Sudi road had dry pumps.
Total filing station along
Kakamega Kisumu road, Shell on Kakamega Webuye Road as well as OiLibya filling
station along Kenyatta Avenue did not have paraffin as from Sunday.
Jack Esona, a resident of
Kakamega town decried the shortage saying he has been forced to use charcoal.
He observed that charcoal sellers
have also increased prices of the commodity due to high demand emanating from
the shortage of paraffin.
“I just don’t understand how we
can lack paraffin for a whole week and no one has raised concern about it. Not
everyone can afford to buy a cooking gas and majority of people in this country
depend on paraffin,” said Esona.
Milka Awire, said she was forced
to buy paraffin from a street vendor and she nearly burnt her house after her
stove exploded.
“We are now being sold paraffin that
is very dangerous. Despite releasing pungent smell and irritating the eyes and
nose when cooking, it does not cook well. I am wondering whether we are being
sold paraffin, tear gas or something else. This is very dangerous and the
government should resolve the shortage as soon as possible,” observed Awire.
Stephen Nderi, Kakamega Sudi
National Oil Manager said the shortage started on Friday last week and their
efforts to get more from the company depot in Kisumu and Eldoret were
unsuccessful.
He explained that the shortage
has brought enormous loss to business people as they continued to pay expenses
without selling the commodity.
“From Friday 10.00am, our stock
was over and when we contacted our reservoirs in Kisumu and Eldoret, we were
informed they didn’t have paraffin. Due to the shortage we have lost business,
continued to pay employees and other charges without selling anything,” said
Nderi.
He explained that they were not
informed of the shortage by their seniors, directing us to Eldoret regional
office for further information.
“Kisumu depot supplies fuel to
entire Nyanza and part of western region as Eldoret supplies to Uasin Gishu and
parts of Western, so you can imagine how many people are experiencing the
shortage. No one has explained to us what is happening,” he told The Standard.
Unconfirmed reports indicates
that some business people have now resorted to importing illegal paraffin from neighboring
country as the shortage continues and demand increases.
..END….
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