Fuel prices in Kenya have risen sharply after the country's Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) revised pump costs for the next one month.

A litre of petrol has risen by 28.69 Kenyan shillings ($0.22), while the price of a similar quantity of diesel has increased by 40.30 shillings ($0.31).

The price of a litre of kerosene, which is widely used by low-income earners for domestic needs such as cooking and lighting, remained unchanged in the latest EPRA review.

Kenya says that the energy costs would have been higher had the government not temporarily reduced Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel from 16% to 13%.

Higher oil costs internationally

President William Ruto's government has also injected a 6.2-billion-shilling ($48 million) special fund to "stabilise pump prices," EPRA said on Tuesday.

Kenya said the increased prices were as a result of higher oil costs in the international market due to disruptions caused by the joint US-Israeli war on Iran that started in February 28.

Following the latest review, a litre of petrol in Kenya's capital Nairobi will retail at 206.97 shillings ($1.60), while a litre of diesel will sell at 206.84 shillings ($1.60). The price of a litre of kerosene, on the other hand, remains unchanged at 152.78 shillings ($1.18).

The new prices will remain in effect from April 15 to May 14, 2026. Kenya reviews its fuel costs monthly.