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Kenya raises price caps for kerosene, petrol; lowers diesel

Published March 14, 2014 Updated March 14, 2014 12:42pm

NAIROBI: Kenya's energy regulator said on Friday that it was raising the maximum retail fuel prices for petrol and kerosene and lowering that for diesel for the month until mid-April.

Fuel prices have a big impact on inflation in east Africa's biggest economy, which depends heavily on diesel for transport, power generation and agriculture, while kerosene is used in many households for cooking and lighting.

The Energy Regulatory Commission raised maximum prices charged in the capital Nairobi for super petrol by 2.06 shillings a litre to 113.61 shillings ($1.31) and kerosene by 0.84 shillings a litre to 83.91 shillings.

It lowered the price of diesel by 0.93 shillings to 104.87.

The prices are effective from Saturday until April 14.

The regulator reviews domestic fuel prices every month, with adjustments made depending on changes in international energy prices and the shilling's exchange rate.

Kenya's year-on-year inflation rate slowed to 6.86 percent in February from 7.21 percent in January.