Fuel prices unchanged for another month, but import costs are rising - EPRA

Nairobi motorists will continue paying Sh178.28 per litre for Super Petrol, Sh166.54 for Diesel, and Sh152.78 for Kerosene.

The prices, effective midnight March 15, 2026, are the same as the previous month.

The freeze in pump prices does not reflect a freeze in what Kenya is paying for fuel.

According to EPRA's own data, the average landed cost of imported Diesel jumped 8.46 per cent between January and February 2026, from USD586.80 to USD636.45 per cubic metre.

Kerosene rose 6.79 per cent, from USD598.82 to USD639.48 per cubic metre.

Super Petrol increased the least, up 1.00 per cent from USD576.34 to USD582.11 per cubic metre.

The reason pump prices did not move is the government's Price Stabilisation mechanism, which absorbs the gap between what fuel actually costs to import and what consumers pay at the pump.

EPRA's Annex II breakdown shows a stabilisation deficit of Sh6.53 per litre on Diesel and Sh6.66 per litre on Kerosene in Nairobi.

Without that buffer, those two products would have been priced higher than their current levels.

Super Petrol's stabilisation adjustment is marginal, at Sh0.14 per litre.

Of the Sh178.28 you pay for a litre of Super Petrol in Nairobi, only Sh75.42 is the actual cost of the product, including shipping and import.

Another Sh4.67 goes to distribution and storage, and Sh17.39 to oil marketing company margins covering importers and dealers.

Taxes and levies account for Sh80.94, the single largest component, representing roughly 45 per cent of the pump price.

Those levies include Value Added Tax at Sh24.59 per litre, Excise Duty at Sh21.95, the Road Maintenance Levy at Sh25.00, the Petroleum Development Levy at Sh5.40, and a Petroleum Regulatory Levy of Sh0.75, among others.

For Diesel, taxes and levies total Sh69.06 per litre out of the Sh166.54 pump price.

For Kerosene, they amount to Sh55.21 out of Sh152.78.

Pump prices are not uniform across Kenya.

EPRA sets different maximum prices for 223 towns, factoring in the distance from Mombasa and the associated transport costs.

Mombasa has the cheapest fuel in the country.

Residents there pay Sh175.00 per litre for Super Petrol, Sh163.26 for Diesel, and Sh149.49 for Kerosene.

Nakuru comes in at Sh177.34, Sh165.95, and Sh152.21 respectively.

Eldoret and Kisumu are priced the same, at Sh178.16 for Super Petrol, Sh166.76 for Diesel, and Sh153.03 for Kerosene.

The further from Mombasa, the higher the price.

Mandera, in the far north-east, has the highest Super Petrol price in the country at Sh200.46 per litre.

Other expensive towns include Elwak at Sh196.43, Eldas at Sh196.99, Moyale at Sh194.22, and Kibish at Sh191.74.

Residents of those areas pay over Sh20 more per litre than someone fuelling up in Mombasa.

The complete EPRA price list for all 223 towns is in the table below.

Kenya imports all its petroleum in refined form.

International prices, denominated in US dollars, directly influence what Kenyans pay at the pump.

The price of Murban Crude Oil, the benchmark used in Kenya's pricing calculations, has been on a downward trend.

It stood at USD63.06 per barrel in February 2026, down from USD65.53 in January 2026 and well below the USD80.22 recorded in March 2025.

That decline in crude prices is one reason the stabilisation fund has not been under more pressure.

The exchange rate has remained relatively stable, with the shilling holding at 129.44 per US dollar in February 2026, largely consistent with the 129-range it has maintained over the past year.

EPRA calculates maximum retail prices monthly under Section 101(y) of the Petroleum Act 2019 and Legal Notice No. 192 of 2022.

The prices are a ceiling, meaning fuel stations cannot charge more, though they may charge less.

The regulator considered vessels received and discharged between February 10 and March 9, 2026, which were mostly February-priced cargoes.

EPRA noted that the situation in the Middle East has not yet affected the current pricing cycle.

The prices include a 16% Value Added Tax in line with the Finance Act 2023 and the Tax Laws (Amendment) Act 2024, with excise duty adjusted for inflation under Legal Notice No. 194 of 2020.