Kenya raises Nairobi super petrol cap to KSh 226.96 a litre; commuter group gives EPRA 14 days to revoke

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) raised the maximum pump price of super petrol in Nairobi by KSh 12.93 to KSh 226.96 a litre in its monthly review announced on 14 October, the Kenyan news site Eastleigh Voice reported. The new caps run from 15 October to 14 November. Stations may charge less than the cap but not more.

Diesel went up by KSh 9.90 to KSh 227.76 a litre in Nairobi, and kerosene, the biggest rise of the three, by KSh 28.49 to KSh 219.87. In Mombasa the caps are KSh 223.81 for super petrol, KSh 224.61 for diesel and KSh 216.71 for kerosene.

The prices include value added tax at 8 per cent. EPRA Director General Edward Kinyua said the cut from 16 per cent, introduced to cushion consumers from high international prices, has been extended to 14 January 2027, The Star reported on 14 October.

Kinyua blamed import costs. "September has been the worst month ever since this crisis broke," he said, referring to the Middle East crisis. He added that October marks the start of winter in Western markets, when demand for diesel and kerosene traditionally rises. EPRA put the average landed cost of super petrol at US$977.55 per cubic metre in September, up 11.81 per cent from US$874.26 in August, and diesel at US$1,065.38, up from US$957.05, Capital FM reported on 15 October.

Kinyua also said EPRA looked at the gap between kerosene and automotive fuels when setting prices, because a wide gap could encourage fuel adulteration.

For a driver filling a 50-litre tank of super petrol in Nairobi, the new cap means KSh 11,348, up from KSh 10,702 under the previous caps, the Kenyan tech news site tech-ish calculated. Annual inflation was 6.8 per cent in September, close to the government's upper limit of 7.5 per cent.

On 18 October the Counties Commuters Welfare Association (COCOWA) gave EPRA 14 days to revoke the increases or face legal action, Kenyans.co.ke reported. The group said at a press conference that the October review was carried out without public participation or consultation with transport stakeholders, and that commuters will bear the cost through higher fares.

COCOWA's secretary general, Bernard Otieno, set out the group's demands within the 14 days, The Kenya Times reported: clear communication on the factors driving fuel prices, formal engagement with commuter representatives, and concrete proposals to cushion commuters against rising transport costs. The group also asked the Ministry of Energy to step in to help bring prices down.

The Motorists Association of Kenya criticised the increases on 15 October. In a statement, it said pump-price increases did not match the rise in landed costs, citing landed-cost increases of 11.81 per cent for petrol, 11.32 per cent for diesel and 9.41 per cent for kerosene against pump increases of 6.04 per cent, 4.54 per cent and 14.89 per cent. The association asked EPRA for a detailed price breakdown.

Some matatu (minibus) operators have already raised fares. Albert Karakacha, president of the Matatu Owners Association, said on 15 October that operators cannot absorb the rising costs. "We are businessmen; we will pass it on to the consumer," he said, as quoted by The Standard. He also cited higher costs for tyres and insurance, and called for fuel subsidies to be reintroduced or a stabilisation fund set up.

According to Kenyans.co.ke, the association told members to raise fares by 10 per cent, and some independent operators and Saccos raised them by as much as 40 per cent to 50 per cent on certain routes.

EPRA's next review is due by 14 November, when the current caps expire.