Gov’t adjusts fuel standards amid global supply concerns

Investments, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui has announced that the ministry has temporarily waived fuel standards to ensure continued supply following disruptions to global supply routes.

Just weeks ago, a similar waiver led to the arrest and resignation of former Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Director General Daniel Kiptoo, and Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director Joe Sang.

The government has since remained silent on the matter, with Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga telling Citizen TV that he has yet to receive the investigations file from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

In a turnaround, the government has now waived fuel standards, which Kinyanjui says is a temporary measure to assure an uninterrupted fuel supply.

In a press statement released on Thursday, the CS explained that following requests from stakeholders in the petroleum sector, and owing to disruptions to supply routes such as the Strait of Hormuz due to the war in the Middle East, the ministry has resolved to revert to the previous fuel standards for a period of six months or shorter should supply constraints ease.

Kinyanjui advised in the statement that, “The Ministry has approved a request by the Energy and Petroleum Ministry, under the guidance of the National Standards Council, to temporarily waive the sulphur parameter to the maximum limit of 50mg/kg for KS EAS 177:2025 – Automotive Gasoil and KS EAS 158:2025 – Premium Motor Spirit as per the previous fuel standards.”

He said the measure would “ensure continued fuel availability and sustain economic stability during the current period of global supply disruption.”

The development recalls the earlier arrest of Liban, Sang and Kiptoo on suspicion of manipulating data on in-country fuel stocks, allegedly creating a false impression of an impending supply shortfall, according to Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, and leading to the irregular procurement of fuel cargo of substandard quality.

However, One Petroleum pushed back against the claims, stating in a press release that the consignment in question “met Kenya’s own standards from 2019 to mid-2025.”

With the government now adjusting its standards, questions remain on whether Liban, Sang and Kiptoo will face prosecution for facilitating the importation of substandard fuel, as Ingonga maintains his office is yet to receive the outcome of investigations.