Kenyans are feeling the sharp rise in the cost of cooking gas that has piled pressure on families already struggling with daily bills due to job losses and drastic cuts in earnings in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Most families and restaurants in the urban areas rely on cooking gas to prepare food. Currently, the 13-kilogramme cooking gas retails at Sh3,400 from Sh2,250 in June. The six-kilogramme cooking gas is retailing at Sh1,600 from Sh900 in June.
The prices of gas and oil have significantly hiked up following the Russian- Ukraine War. Russia is the third biggest producer of oil in the world, behind the US and Saudi Arabia. The gas accounts for about 40% of the EU’s natural gas imports
The Treasury has announced subsidy scheme for affordable cooking gas from July. promising relief to Kenyans. Unlike the prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene which are adjusted and controlled, gas prices are not controlled.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is one of the most common alternative sources of energy in the world; both domestic and industrial.
Africa Countries such as Nigeria, Liberia, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt have potential to export gas and oil to Europe. However war, corruption and lack of resources to extract this minerals are defining factors, which need time to be resolved. And time is what Europe Nations don’t have following sanctions on Russia.