The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has kept petrol, diesel and kerosene prices unchanged for the September 15 to October 14 pricing cycle, sparing Kenyan motorists an increase even as the cost of importing some fuels rose sharply and global crude prices surged amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
In a statement issued on Monday, September 14, EPRA said the maximum retail prices for the three products would remain in force for the coming month.
“In accordance with Section 101(y) of the Petroleum Act 2019 and Legal Notice No.192 of 2022, the Energy & Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has calculated the maximum retail prices of petroleum products which will be in force from 15th September 2026 to 14th October 2026. In the period under review, the maximum allowed petroleum pump prices for Super Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene remain unchanged,” the authority said.
Motorists in Nairobi will continue paying Sh214.03 per litre for Super Petrol, Sh217.86 for Diesel and Sh191.38 for Kerosene, with slightly different prices applying in Mombasa, Kisumu and other regions depending on transportation costs.
The decision to hold prices steady comes despite a mixed and, in places, sharply rising picture of the cost of importing fuel into the country. According to EPRA, the average landed cost of imported Super Petrol fell by 7.87 per cent, from $948.92 per cubic metre in July to $874.26 per cubic metre in August.
Diesel moved in the opposite direction, rising 11.86 per cent from $855.59 to $957.05 per cubic metre over the same period, while Kerosene’s landed cost climbed 9.71 per cent, from $915.01 to $1,003.87 per cubic metre. Despite those increases in diesel and kerosene import costs, EPRA opted not to pass any of the added expense on to consumers this cycle.
The stability at the pump comes even as international oil markets have turned increasingly volatile. Brent crude, the global benchmark, settled at $101.21 a barrel on September 9, its highest close since May, before trading around $101.10 a barrel days later, driven by disruptions to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz amid the escalating conflict between the US and Iran.
Some reports have placed prices as high as $105 a barrel in the first week of September. EPRA’s pricing formula, however, is based on the landed cost of fuel cargoes already in the country during the review period, rather than the day-to-day price of crude on international markets, meaning there is typically a lag before global price swings are reflected locally.
This marks the third consecutive month EPRA has held pump prices steady. In its previous review, covering August 15 to September 14, the regulator had cut diesel prices by Sh5 a litre, crediting the reduction in part to Sh938 million in government stabilisation support that also helped keep Super Petrol and Kerosene prices from rising further at the time.
