EPRA published revised pump prices factoring adjustment of VAT to 8pc

NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 15— The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has revised fuel pump prices downward after the government reduced Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum products to 8 percent, offering partial relief to consumers following sharp increases announced on Tuesday.

In an addendum to its April 14 pricing review, EPRA said the revised prices will take effect from April 16 to May 14, 2026, reflecting the new VAT rate introduced under Legal Notice No. 70 dated April 15 by the National Treasury.

Under the updated pricing, a litre of Super Petrol in Nairobi will retail at Sh198, Diesel at Sh197, while Kerosene will remain unchanged at Sh153.

The regulator said the VAT adjustment has led to a reduction of Sh9.37 per litre for petrol and Sh10.21 per litre for diesel.

Kerosene prices remain steady, although the subsidy on the product has been lowered from Sh108.10 to Sh96.56 per litre.

“EPRA has recalculated the maximum retail pump prices… taking into account the revised Value Added Tax rates,” Acting Director General Dr. Joseph Oketch said in the statement.

The revision comes barely 24 hours after EPRA announced steep fuel price hikes driven by surging global oil prices, which had pushed petrol to Sh206.97 per litre and diesel to Sh206.84 in Nairobi.

Despite the tax relief, prices remain elevated compared to previous months, underscoring continued pressure from international markets.

EPRA has attributed the volatility to a sharp rise in the landed cost of imported petroleum products.

According to the regulator, the average landed cost of Super Petrol rose by over 41 percent between February and March 2026, while Diesel increased by nearly 69 percent. Kerosene recorded the steepest jump, more than doubling over the same period.

Kenya relies entirely on imported refined fuel, making domestic pump prices highly sensitive to global oil trends and exchange rate fluctuations.

The VAT cut forms part of a broader government effort to cushion consumers from rising living costs, alongside the use of billions of shillings from the Petroleum Development Levy to stabilize prices