Kenya’s Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has moved to calm public anger following a historic spike in fuel prices, insisting the government has introduced emergency measures to cushion consumers from the full impact of soaring global oil costs.
The assurance comes just hours after the latest fuel review triggered sharp increases at the pump, with super petrol rising by Ksh16.65 per litre and diesel surging by a staggering Ksh46.29 per litre. Kerosene prices, however, remained unchanged.
In a statement issued on Friday, May 15, Wandayi blamed the increases on mounting instability in the global oil market, citing escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that have disrupted international energy supply chains and driven up crude oil prices worldwide.
“The continued geopolitical tensions in the region have disrupted global energy markets, leading to a sharp increase in international crude oil prices and elevated freight and supply chain costs,” the CS stated.
According to Wandayi, Kenya — like many nations dependent on imported petroleum products — remains highly exposed to external shocks affecting global fuel supply and pricing trends.
The CS defended the controversial price hikes, saying the adjustments reflected prevailing global market realities, pressure on the Kenyan shilling, and increasing importation and transportation costs.
Government data showed that the landed cost of imported super petrol jumped from Ksh106,242.99 per cubic metre in March 2026 to Ksh116,948.98 per cubic metre in April 2026, representing a 10 per cent increase.
Diesel recorded an even steeper rise, with landed costs climbing by 20.32 per cent from Ksh138,576.47 to Ksh166,730.02 per cubic metre over the same period.
Despite the increases, the government opted to maintain kerosene prices through what Wandayi described as “targeted support measures” aimed at protecting low-income households that rely heavily on kerosene for cooking and lighting.
To ease the burden on consumers, the CS revealed that the government had injected Ksh5 billion during the current pricing cycle to moderate diesel and kerosene costs while maintaining stability in the country’s petroleum supply chain.
Wandayi further pointed to earlier tax interventions by the government, including the reduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum products from 16 per cent to 8 per cent, arguing that the move was intended to shield Kenyans from extreme fuel price volatility.
He also defended the Government-to-Government (G-to-G) fuel importation deal, a programme that has faced mounting criticism in recent months, saying it had helped Kenya avoid even higher freight charges and petroleum premiums in the international market.
“The arrangement continues to shield the country from escalating global freight and petroleum premium charges,” Wandayi said.
Amid growing concerns over the rising cost of living, the CS assured Kenyans that the country currently has sufficient petroleum stocks and that the government was closely monitoring developments in the international energy market.
He added that the ministry had begun consultations with stakeholders in the transport, manufacturing, energy and business sectors to identify sustainable measures aimed at reducing the impact of high fuel prices on households and businesses.
The latest price hikes are expected to trigger fresh concerns over inflation, transport fares and the cost of basic commodities, with diesel prices in particular likely to hit manufacturers and the public transport sector hard in the coming weeks.
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