The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has issued an extraordinary mid-month fuel price revision following a high-stakes, six-hour consultative meeting with public transport stakeholders. The emergency adjustments are aimed at defusing an aggressive nationwide matatu strike that has paralyzed public transport across major urban centers.
Under the new 25-day pricing cycle, running from May 19 to June 14, 2026, the regulator has slashed diesel prices by Ksh 10.06 per litre and increased kerosene prices by Ksh 38.60 per litre, while keeping super petrol prices completely unchanged.
Closing the Adulteration Gap
According to EPRA, the sudden recalculation was prompted by a petition from public transport operators and a technical need to avert widespread fuel adulteration. The previous monthly review had created a massive price disparity between diesel and kerosene, raising red flags that unscrupulous traders might illegally blend the cheaper kerosene into diesel stocks.
“EPRA has recalculated the maximum retail pump prices… following a petition by public transport sector operators on the need to minimize the risk of motor fuel adulteration,” the regulator announced on Monday evening.
The initial May 14 review—which spiked diesel by Ksh 46.29 and petrol by Ksh 16.65 due to escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East—is what triggered the massive economic backlash and subsequent transport shutdown.
New Breakdown Across Major Towns
Following the revision, pump prices at the station level will vary across major urban centers. In Nairobi, Super Petrol will remain at Ksh 214.25, while Diesel will retail at Ksh 232.86 and Kerosene at Ksh 191.38. Mombasa will feature some of the country’s lowest rates, with Petrol costing Ksh 211.09, Diesel at Ksh 229.58, and Kerosene at Ksh 188.09. In Nakuru, motorists will pay Ksh 213.15 for Petrol, Ksh 232.27 for Diesel, and Ksh 190.81 for Kerosene. Meanwhile, Kisumu residents will buy Petrol at Ksh 213.91, Diesel at Ksh 233.08, and Kerosene at Ksh 191.63.
Operators Reject Revision, Vow to Continue Strike
Despite EPRA’s rare mid-cycle intervention, the public transport sector has flatly rejected the new concessions. Transport operators termed the Ksh 10.06 diesel reduction entirely insufficient and a mockery of a struggling industry. The Transport Alliance has maintained that nothing short of a total reversal of the initial Ksh 46 hike will suffice to cushion operators and commuters from soaring operational costs.
Consequently, stakeholders have declared that the nationwide strike remains active. Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) are expected to stay off the roads, signaling prolonged commuting gridlock across the country until the government fully yields to their demands.