Nairobi, KENYA: The Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) has vowed to go to court or call for a national strike if the government will not review the new petroleum price increase announced by Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
Through a statement sent to newsrooms, COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli strongly condemned the increment of prices by ERC saying, its only in Kenya that cost of petroleum products can go up with a skyrocketing percentage and the government allows it.
Atwoli, who is also president of the workers in Africa, further noted that, the increment are a direct implementation of 16% VAT that Kenyans protested about through a united political leadership that made the president change his mind.
“We appeal to the President H.E Uhuru Kenyatta being worker number one to reconsider this awkward situation of impractical increase in petrol, diesel and kerosene prices. These increments are going to make cost of transport go up, housing and other direct essential commodities that affect ordinary workers,” part of the statement read.
ERC last week announced the new prices for the period 15th November to 14th December, by increasing Petrol by 6 shillings and Diesel by 8 shillings in major towns of the country.
In Mombasa county the price of super petrol now goes for 115 from 109,Diesel 110 from 108 and that of Kerosene 109.
In Nairobi county, the super petrol goes for 118 from 112,Diesel 112 from 104 and that of Kerosene 111.
