Kenya has hiked petrol prices by about 16% as rising global crude oil costs and supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East continue to pressure import-dependent economies.
The increase was disclosed by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) in a statement announcing new fuel prices effective from April 15, 2026, to May 14, 2026, across the country.
Kenya, which imports nearly all of its refined petroleum products through government-to-government deals with Persian Gulf suppliers such as Saudi Aramco Trading Fujairah, and Emirates National Oil Company Singapore Ltd, has been hit by disruptions in crude oil production and energy supply routes caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict, driving up the landing cost of petroleum products.
What they are saying
EPRA said it had set new maximum retail prices for petroleum products for the one-month review period beginning April 15, 2026, in line with existing legal and regulatory frameworks.
- “In the period under review, the maximum allowed petroleum pump prices for Super Petrol and Diesel increased by KShs. 28.69/litre and KShs. 40.30/litre respectively while the price of Kerosene remains unchanged.”
The regulator added that fuel prices reflect applicable taxes and fiscal policies, noting:
- “Effectively, the Value Added Tax rate on Super Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene has been reduced from 16% to 13% in order to cushion consumers from the high landed cost of petroleum products as a result of the escalated prices in the international market.”
More insights
The price hike comes as the average landed cost of imported fuel surged sharply between February and March 2026, with petrol rising by over 41%, diesel by nearly 69%, and kerosene by more than 105%, underscoring the scale of cost pressures facing the country.
- “The average landed cost of imported Super Petrol increased by 41.53% from US$582.11 per cubic metre in February 2026 to US$823.87 per cubic metre in March 2026,” EPRA said in the statement.
This increase also follows a slight uptick in Kenya’s inflation rate, which rose to 4.4% year-on-year in March 2026 from 4.3% in February, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), although it remains within the government’s medium-term target range of 2.5% to 7.5%.
What you should know
In Nigeria’s deregulated petrol market, fuel prices have also risen significantly, climbing from about N799 per litre before the current global crisis to around N1,200.
While analysts warn prices could rise as high as N2,000 per litre, Wale Edun, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, has ruled out any plan for the reintroduction of petrol subsidies.
In a related development, Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, said Nigeria would have spent about N52 trillion on fuel subsidies—equivalent to 76% of its N68 trillion 2026 budget—if the subsidy regime had been retained.
