Omanyo calls for reform at EPRA over delayed fuel price updates

Rising public concern over frequent fuel price changes and their economic impact has now drawn sharp criticism from Acting ODM Secretary General Catherine Omanyo, who has accused the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) of weak forecasting, slow communication, and lack of proper long-term planning that leaves citizens and institutions unprepared each time new prices are announced.

Speaking on Radio Generation on Wednesday, Omanyo said Kenya does not have strong enough systems to anticipate fuel shocks or manage public expectations, arguing that delays in communication continue to expose households, businesses, and even government offices to sudden financial strain.

“If they knew and didn’t communicate in time and waited for us to almost collapse at the pronouncement that is also wrong,” she said, adding that public communication on fuel pricing should be timely and predictable.

She questioned why institutions responsible for energy regulation do not give early signals on expected price movements, insisting that fuel pricing information should be handled in a transparent and predictable way rather than being released at the last minute.

“Communication, it’s not a secret. The price of this fuel is not a secret,” she said.

Omanyo said Kenya needs stronger national planning systems that go beyond reacting to global oil market changes, urging the establishment of strategic fuel reserves that can cushion the country during periods of disruption.

She pointed to earlier proposals under a petroleum law framework, saying one of the key ideas was to maintain fuel reserves that could last for months in case of global shortages or geopolitical instability.

“There was a proposal for a petroleum act. Among the key components of that act is that we should have oil or fuel reserves for roughly six months,” she said, adding that such a system would help stabilize prices and reduce panic in the country.

She also raised concern about what she described as weak investment in storage infrastructure, arguing that Kenya already has key transport systems such as pipelines but has not built enough supporting facilities to secure energy supply.

“The next hope was storage. How difficult can that be? It can’t be,” she said, adding that stronger infrastructure planning would reduce dependence on emergency responses whenever fuel prices fluctuate.

Omanyo further criticised what she termed as institutional inefficiency, saying agencies mandated to safeguard public interest were failing to act in advance of predictable challenges.

“If anybody has been mandated to handle a particular docket and they sleep at their job, why should we then have them in the office?” she said.

She warned that poor and delayed communication from regulators risks damaging public confidence, saying citizens may begin to doubt official statements even when they are accurate.

“The problem is that we will then assume that whatever you tell us is not true, even when it is true,” she said.

Omanyo added that EPRA requires urgent change in leadership and approach, insisting that the current system is not responsive enough to the needs of citizens facing rising living costs.

“EPRA is sleeping on their job, and they need to be shaken, not just shaken, to be replaced by a serious body or serious individuals,” she added.

She called for a shift in governance approach, urging institutions to focus more on prevention and planning rather than reacting after crises emerge.

“We should be more bent on solutions, not curing,” she said.

Her remarks come amid continued public frustration over fuel price adjustments and broader debate on Kenya’s preparedness for global energy market volatility, with increasing calls for stronger regulation, better planning, and improved energy security systems.