‘We chose availability over quality,’ CS Kinyanjui says on relaxation on fuel standards

Trade and Investments Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui appeared before the Senate on Wednesday, where he responded to queries on Kenya’s fuel standards.

Migori Senator Eddie Oketch raised concerns that the Ministry of Trade had recently increased Sulphur levels in the country’s fuel supply. The senator argued that the increased Sulphur levels could pose a threat to the environment or vehicles.

In his response, CS Kinyanjui told senators that Kenya lowered Sulphur over 10 years ago and increased it in August 2025.

“The fuel you are talking about being substandard is the fuel you have been consuming for the last 10 years until August last year. I don’t know how many vehicles went bad," he said.

Kinyanjui told senators that Kenya, in August 2025, revised its fuel standards by capping Sulphur levels at 10.

“We had just raised our standards from 50-10 in Sulphur in August last year,” said the CS.

According to the CS, Kenya’s decision to relax the quality standards for fuel was to ensure the country had enough supply, given the global risks due to unrest in the Middle East.

“There is nothing new we have brought. It is just that the sourcing of petroleum products across the world is a major challenge,” Kinyanjui said, referring to damage to oil refineries in the Middle East.

The minister argued that the current quality standards might be in place for one or two years, as sourcing options have been compromised.

“Between having perfect quality and availability, we chose to have availability,” he told Senators.