Sawa, kumbe EPRA is about to drop another fuel price bomb on Thursday evening, and honestly? Kenyans are NOT ready for this conversation. With global oil prices going absolutely bonkers thanks to Middle East drama, your matatu fare might just become a luxury item.

The Middle East Crisis Is Coming To Your Pocket

Aki, the situation is real. While the whole world is watching Iran, Israel, and the US duke it out over oil infrastructure, us Kenyans are sitting here sweating about pump prices. The Strait of Hormuz — basically the express lane for 20 percent of the world's crude oil — is getting rougher than a matatu ride on a Nairobi pothole-filled road. Brent crude prices have been climbing like they're competing for the Safaricom Trophy, and we're all just holding our breath, wondering what EPRA will announce Thursday.

The International Energy Agency is literally warning that oil supply could stay below demand throughout 2026. Sijui how that translates to your bank account, but let's just say it's not looking like a bonus situation. Kenya imports almost everything fuel-related, so when global prices go up, we don't get a "hakuna matata" pass — we get the full bill, ndio?

April's Damage Is Still Fresh, And Now This?

Last month's price hike was absolutely brutal. Petrol and diesel both climbed past Sh206 per litre in Nairobi, with diesel import costs jumping by a crazy 68 percent and petrol by over 40 percent. The government tried to cushion the blow by dropping VAT from 16 to 13 percent and raiding the Petroleum Development Levy, but lakini, that only does so much when the global market is in chaos mode.

Real talk — matatu fares went up, food prices started climbing, and transport costs became absolutely ridiculous across towns. Business groups and consumer advocates are basically begging EPRA to hold steady this time, because another spike will push inflation through the roof and make everyday items cost like they're imported from Mars. Analysts estimate Kenya has already spent billions in extra fuel costs since this year's Middle East crisis kicked off.

What's Really Frustrating Kenyans Right Now

The timing is absolutely terrible. The economy is still recovering from April's shock, and now EPRA is about to announce new prices when global oil markets are more unpredictable than a Nairobi weather forecast. People are genuinely worried that groceries will become even more expensive, transport will cost more, and basically everything connected to logistics will feel the impact. It's giving "when will we catch a break?" energy.

The fact that Kenya can't just switch to alternative suppliers easily makes it even more stressful. We used to rely heavily on Gulf region imports, but supply disruptions have forced traders to source from pricier markets like Nigeria and the United States. Sijui, but that sounds expensive.

The Jukwaa Take: Thursday evening's EPRA announcement is going to be the kind of moment where Kenyans either celebrate or start planning how to carpool to work — there's basically no middle ground here.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya