EPRA Hikes Diesel by KSh46 as It Sets May-June Fuel Prices

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) released its monthly review on Tuesday. The regulator set maximum pump prices for the period running from May 15 to June 14.

Super petrol and diesel both rose. Kerosene held steady.

In Nairobi a litre of super petrol will now cost KSh214.25. Diesel moves to KSh242.92. Kerosene remains at KSh152.78. All three prices take effect at midnight.

EPRA Acting Director General Dr Joseph Oketch signed off on the figures. The authority calculated them under Section 101(y) of the Petroleum Act 2019 and Legal Notice No.192 of 2022.

The new rates already include value-added tax. Officials applied the VAT Act 2013 together with the Finance Act 2023 and the Tax Laws Amendment Act 2024. Excise duty adjustments followed inflation indexing under Legal Notice No.194 of 2020.

Diesel absorbed the biggest single jump at KSh46.29 per litre. Super petrol climbed KSh16.65. The unchanged kerosene price reflects ongoing subsidy support.

Earlier in the week the Central Bank of Kenya noted a drop in international oil prices. Murban crude fell to USD89.13 per barrel on May 7 from USD100.21 on April 30. Despite that easing the local pump prices still moved higher.

On Wednesday the Ministry of Energy released more than KSh6 billion in subsidy payments to oil marketers. The money covered the April 15 to May 14 cycle. EPRA had already broken down the volumes and sent the details to the ministry.

Under that previous arrangement super petrol received a subsidy of KSh4.68 per litre. Diesel got KSh23.92 per litre. Illuminating kerosene enjoyed the largest support at KSh96.56 per litre.

The total payouts came to roughly KSh951 million for petrol, KSh4.87 billion for diesel and KSh200 million for kerosene.

The latest announcement follows a turbulent April cycle. EPRA first flagged sharp increases driven by higher landed costs and a weaker shilling. Officials later revised those figures downward after the National Treasury cut VAT on petroleum products from 13 percent to 8 percent.

Petrol and diesel had both dropped in the revised April-May rates. The adjustments left super petrol at KSh197.60 and diesel at KSh196.63 before this fresh round of increases.

Construction contractors and infrastructure developers watch these monthly EPRA announcements closely. Diesel powers excavators, bulldozers, tipper trucks and site generators across road, rail and building projects nationwide. Any sustained rise feeds directly into operating expenses on active sites.

The regulator stressed that the prices remain the maximum allowed at retail outlets. Actual pump prices at individual stations may vary slightly depending on location and dealer margins.

Motorists and fleet operators now face another adjustment. The May-June window covers the full 30-day cycle.

EPRA said it will continue monitoring global market movements and local forex conditions. Further reviews are scheduled for early June.