Lead

Kenyans are awaiting the latest fuel price review by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), as the country continues to grapple with the effects of sharp price hikes announced in April 2026. The monthly review, which determines retail prices for super petrol, diesel, and kerosene, comes amid continued volatility in global oil markets triggered by escalating tensions in the Middle East.

According to a report by AllAfrica, the price of every litre of fuel in Kenya has five components: the cost of importing the fuel, government taxes and levies, logistics from the port of Mombasa to the fuel station, company margins, and subsidies. The landed cost—the largest single component—covers the international purchase price, the exchange rate, port handling fees, storage, inland transport, and financing costs. Oil marketers' margins are set by the regulator, which caps what companies can earn per litre.

Coverage Comparison

Several reports from AllAfrica on the fuel price debate offer different angles. One explainer focuses on the composition of pump prices and the role of government taxes and levies. Another report covers a proposal by lawmaker Ndindi Nyoro, former chair of the House Budget Committee, to bring fuel prices below Sh190 per litre. A third report details the sharp price increases announced in April. A fourth report looks ahead to the next monthly review, highlighting the anxiety among consumers and the impact of Middle East tensions. A fifth report examines the accuracy of claims made in a televised debate about oil price trends and pump prices.

Key Claims

The total tax burden on fuel in Kenya is substantial. According to the explainer, taxes and levies account for KSh72.38, or 36.6% of the price of petrol; KSh62.91, or 32% for diesel; and KSh49.34, or 32.3% for kerosene. The government uses the petroleum development levy (PDL) to bring the final price down when import costs spike, according to the same report.

In mid-April 2026, fuel prices surged. EPRA announced sharp increases, with super petrol prices rising by Sh16.65 per litre and diesel jumping by Sh46.29, pushing retail prices in Nairobi to Sh214.25 for petrol and Sh242.92 for diesel, as reported by two AllAfrica articles.

Kenyans are anxiously awaiting the latest fuel price review, according to another report, which notes that global oil markets have been volatile due to escalating tensions in the Middle East. The conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States has severely disrupted global oil supply chains, including through the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for nearly a fifth of the world's crude supply. The International Energy Agency has warned that the Iran war could push global oil supply below demand throughout 2026, according to the same report.

Global oil prices have trended upward since February 2026, according to a fact-checking report, but the data shows prices have been volatile and not a steady climb. The report also examines claims made by Nyoro and EPRA's petroleum and gas director Edward Kinyua in a televised debate on Citizen TV on 15 April 2026.

Perspectives

Ndindi Nyoro's proposal: The lawmaker and former budget committee chair has proposed an urgent three-pronged intervention to bring fuel prices below Sh190 per litre. He argues that the government should immediately reduce fuel distributors', retailers', and wholesalers' margins by Sh4 per litre from the current average of about Sh22. He also proposes scrapping the 8% Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel products that was reinstated under Legal Notice No. 70 of April 15, 2026, and abolishing the Sh7 Road Maintenance Levy increment introduced in 2024. Nyoro says these measures would lower super petrol prices to about Sh186 per litre and diesel to around Sh189. He has written to the Clerk of the National Assembly seeking amendments to both the VAT Act and the Road Maintenance Levy framework. He has also called for the release of Sh5 billion from the Fuel Stabilisation Fund to cushion diesel prices, arguing that diesel costs have the biggest impact on production and transport across the economy.

EPRA's position: EPRA is responsible for setting maximum monthly retail prices, which are enforced on the 15th of every month. The regulator has cited "escalated prices in the international market" for the sharp increases in April. EPRA has indicated that the latest prices factor in the VAT rate alongside inflation-adjusted excise duties and other fuel-related levies. The regulator's petroleum and gas director, Edward Kinyua, has said that global oil prices have risen, a claim supported by data showing an upward trend since February 2026. However, a fact-checking report notes that the data also shows volatility, with sharp spikes and subsequent drops.