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MPs to Epra: Close petrol stations hoarding fuel
Parliament building in Nairobi.
A parliamentary committee has directed the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) to clamp down on and close petrol stations hoarding fuel in anticipation of a price increase in the next review, expected next week.
The National Assembly Committee on Energy has told the authority to physically move into petrol stations, check their fuel levels, and withdraw the licences of those found to be hoarding the commodity.
“Epra has a responsibility to tell us more about the fuel shortage. They should take action against these stations and withdraw their licences,” said committee chairman David Gikaria.
“Epra should burn the midnight oil. It’s not enough to just tell us that there is fuel; they should walk into these petrol stations with their officers, check the actual petrol they have, and if they have enough but are hoarding, they should be shut down,” he added.
Lawmakers in the committee accused some dealers of hoarding fuel in anticipation of a price increase next week, causing the current crisis.
“I have been in this sector for the last 15 years before I joined politics. I know for sure that dealers have enough stock of fuel but are waiting for the right price in order to sell,” said Bomachoge Borabu MP Obadiah Barongo, a member of the committee.
A Petrol Station in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, with a 'No fuel' sticker at the pump, after the commodity ran out on April 8, 2026.
The committee said since Epra is aware of the quantities each supplier has, it should be in a position to confirm whether the shortage being witnessed in various parts of the country is real or man-made.
The committee now wants Epra to provide a comprehensive report to Parliament next week on the quantity of petrol each station has.
The committee made the remarks after Energy CS Opiyo failed to appear before them on Thursday to provide answers on, among other issues, the fuel crisis in the country.
“It is sad that we don’t have answers for Kenyans on the fuel crisis because the CS failed to appear before us on this important matter,” Mr Gikaria said.
“People are actually queuing at petrol stations for fuel. This is a very important matter,” added Embakasi South MP Julius Mawathe.
New Epra Director-General Joseph Oketch, the Kenya Revenue Authority, and Mr Wandayi have all been summoned by the committee to appear on Tuesday next week over the fuel crisis.
The fuel crisis being witnessed in various parts of the country is linked to global supply disruptions amid tensions in the Middle East involving Israel, the United States, and Iran. This has hit independent oil dealers hardest, with many small-scale filling stations, especially in rural areas, affected.
The government has, however, consistently assured members of the public that there is sufficient fuel stock and that there is no shortage.
Long queues have been witnessed at fuelling stations in various parts of the country as motorists and motorcyclists compete for the little available commodity.
Last week, the United Energy and Petroleum Association (UNEPA), through its chairperson Irene Kimathi, faulted EPRA in its latest review of petroleum products for failing to take into account the prevailing supply challenges faced by suppliers due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
“The current prices set by Epra are no longer sustainable. Fuel dealers are therefore left with one option: to halt sales unless Epra urgently reviews its pricing criteria for this month,” Ms Kimathi said.
“If our customers are to continue receiving fuel, then prices must reflect the actual market cost.
It is also time for the country to reconsider its fuel infrastructure framework and strengthen its strategic reserve capacity in order to mitigate similar uncertainties in the future,” she added.
Motorists fuel their vehicles at Rubis Petrol Station along the Moi Avenue in Mombasa as fuel shortage hits the country, on April 8, 2026.
The association told Epra to immediately suspend the current price regulation so that the market can reflect the actual cost of fuel.
“Failing this, we may have no alternative but to halt our services. Over the past few weeks, we have been operating at a loss, with our working capital being depleted each day. This situation is no longer sustainable,” warned Ms Kimathi.
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