The National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK) is planning to rehabilitate its Nairobi fuel terminal as the state-owned oil company seeks to strengthen its storage and distribution operations.
National Oil has invited consulting firms to express interest in the rehabilitation works at the terminal, located in Nairobi’s Industrial Area.
In a notice issued on Tuesday, September 1, the corporation said interested firms have until September 15 to submit their applications.
The rehabilitation is expected to improve one of National Oil’s key facilities, which handles petroleum products for distribution to different parts of the country.
The terminal currently has a truck-loading capacity of about 3.7 million litres of fuel per day, making it an important part of the corporation’s downstream operations.
National Oil eyes more storage
The upcoming rehabilitation is coming after National Oil had earlier made plans to expand the facility through building more storage tanks.
Expansion would assist the corporation in catering to the needs of their expanding filling stations and also provide for fuel demands in Nairobi and the Mt Kenya area, in addition to meeting the demands of other oil marketers.
National Oil had also considered setting up an LPG filling plant with higher capacity at the terminal.
These developments would enable the state corporation to play a more significant part in the fuel distribution network of the country amid the ongoing challenges in international fuel prices and availability.
National Oil operates more than 99 service stations across Kenya and supplies petroleum products to businesses, government institutions and independent resellers.
Push for bigger role in fuel sector
The rehabilitation also comes amid calls for National Oil to play a stronger role in Kenya’s petroleum sector.
Industry players have previously raised questions about the corporation’s position in the fuel supply chain, particularly on issues such as fuel pricing and imports.
In April, Petroleum Outlets Association of Kenya (PAOK) chairperson Martin Chomba questioned the weakening role of National Oil, arguing that some of the government’s measures on fuel prices were not enough to protect consumers from rising costs.
The Nairobi terminal is an important asset for the corporation, both for its fuel operations and revenue generation.
However, National Oil has also faced scrutiny over its financial position.
In 2025, Parliament’s Public Investments Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy raised concerns about the state corporation’s finances and called for a special audit after describing it as technically insolvent.
The latest rehabilitation plans come at a time when Kenya is also looking at ways of strengthening its fuel supply chain following disruptions and price pressures linked to tensions in the Middle East.
For National Oil, upgrading the Nairobi terminal could therefore help improve its capacity at a time when the government is looking for greater resilience in the country’s petroleum supply system.
