Kenya extends fuel sulphur waiver by six months; pump price caps expire 14 November

Kenya's Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry on 11 November extended by six months its temporary relaxation of the sulphur limit for imported petrol and diesel, Citizen Digital and the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) reported. The maximum sulphur content under the arrangement is 50 mg/kg. The pump price caps now in force expire on 14 November.

The extension followed a request from the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and a recommendation from the National Standards Council.

The waiver covers two Kenyan standards: KS EAS 177:2025 for Automotive Gas Oil, which is diesel, and KS EAS 158:2025 for Automotive Gasoline, which is petrol. A sulphur limit is the most sulphur a fuel may contain, measured in milligrams per kilogram of fuel.

The ministry gave the reason for the extension as continuing geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East and disruption to global petroleum supply chains, including through the Strait of Hormuz. According to KBC, the disruption made it hard for Kenya to source fuel that meets the current standards, and the ministry first announced the waiver on 30 April 2026 at the request of the Energy ministry and industry stakeholders.

The aim is to widen the pool of compliant fuel sources and guard against shortages. "This is a temporary measure intended to maintain uninterrupted fuel availability and protect economic stability," Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry Lee Kinyanjui said, as quoted by KBC.

The measure will be reviewed at the end of the six months, or earlier if global supply conditions improve.

Pump prices are set separately by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), which publishes maximum retail prices each month. The caps now in force run from 15 October to 14 November 2026, and stations may charge less but not more.

In Nairobi the caps are KSh 226.96 a litre for super petrol, KSh 227.76 for diesel and KSh 219.87 for kerosene, Citizen Digital and the Kenyan technology site Tech-ish reported on 14 October. Super petrol rose by KSh 12.93 from KSh 214.03, diesel by KSh 9.90 from KSh 217.86 and kerosene by KSh 28.49 from KSh 191.38. The prices include value added tax at 8 per cent.

EPRA put the increase down to higher import costs: the average landed cost of imported super petrol rose by 11.81 per cent between August and September. Kenya imports all its refined fuel.

EPRA's next monthly review is due by 14 November.