This archive report was first published on 23 April 2020.
Kenya's economy is feeling the pinch of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a significant slowdown in the demand for fuel and power.
According to the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), daily petroleum consumption had dropped by 34 percent since January, coinciding with the pandemic that has slashed travel as most people stayed home.
As of April, the country's daily fuel consumption stood at 3,678.65 cubic meters, down from 5,562.06 cubic meters in January.
EPRA attributed the decline in fuel consumption to the introduction of the lockdown and continued calls for remote work, which has driven the daily energy demand down by about 20 percent.
Additionally, decreased demand is also attributed to production cuts by commercial and industrial customers.
Despite the drop in fuel consumption, prices remain at historic lows, with petrol prices this month dropping by the biggest margin since Kenya started controlling fuel prices in 2010.
Super petrol is currently retailing at Sh92.87 per liter in Nairobi, down from Sh110.87 from the previous review, representing a Sh18 drop, while diesel dropped Sh4.09 to Sh97.56 per liter.
EPRA linked the cheap fuel to the plunge in crude oil prices after a fallout between Saudi Arabia and Russia over cutting production in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, consumption of electricity by domestic customers had increased by about five percent as most companies told their employees to work from home.
Additionally, educational institutions are closed, hence all students are at home, EPRA noted.
The government has since the confirmation of the first COVID-19 case in the country on March 12 introduced directives to slow down the spread of the disease, including restricting movement in highly affected counties.
