The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has flagged 27 petrol stations for failing to meet fuel quality and integrity requirements after carrying out more than 10,000 tests across the country.
The inspections were conducted during the financial year that ended in June 2026, according to EPRA’s Energy and Petroleum Statistics Report.
The regulator conducted 10,354 fuel tests at 4,199 petroleum sites during the period.
Of all the inspected stations, 4,172 that formed 99.36 per cent met the stipulated standards while the 27 stations that failed to meet the standards formed 0.64 per cent.
According to EPRA, the non-compliant outlets were made to pay the necessary penalties according to the laws. The names of the stations that failed the test were not revealed by the regulatory authority.
The tests were conducted as part of the EPRA initiative to ensure the quality of petroleum products available at retail outlets.
Some of the parameters used by EPRA to choose stations for the tests include: nationwide distribution, intelligence collected from surveillance, previous performance and complains from the public members.
EPRA Expands Fuel Marking
EPRA also expanded its fuel marking programme during the period to cover petrol and diesel meant for domestic consumption.
The new category was introduced in April 2026.
Fuel marking involves adding small quantities of a specific biochemical marker to petroleum products. The marker helps EPRA identify fuel meant for the local and export markets and detect cases of adulteration and other malpractice.
“The programme facilitates the identification of petroleum products intended for the domestic and export markets and supports the detection of adulteration and other forms of fuel malpractice,” EPRA said.
A total of 5.67 billion litres of petroleum products were marked during the year, an increase of 39.46 per cent from the 4.06 billion litres recorded in the 2024/25 financial year.
Export products made up the largest share of the marked fuel at 79.36 per cent.
Petrol and diesel for domestic use accounted for 19.60 per cent, while domestic kerosene made up 1.03 per cent.
Petroleum Demand Rises
The increased monitoring comes as Kenya continues to record growth in petroleum consumption.
Domestic petroleum demand rose by 8.41 per cent during the year to 6.33 million cubic metres, up from 5.84 million cubic metres in 2024/25.
EPRA linked the increase to higher demand from the transport and construction sectors.
Pipeline throughput also grew by 6.84 per cent as demand for petroleum products increased in both the domestic and transit markets.