The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority's April 2026 maximum-pump-price bulletin is not a relief round — it's a crunch. In Nairobi, Super Petrol moves to roughly KSh 206.97 per litre and Automotive Diesel to roughly KSh 206.84 per litre for the 15 April–14 May cycle, with kerosene unchanged at about KSh 152.78. Both petrol and diesel now sit above KSh 200 at the capital's reference stations.
EPRA and Treasury commentary in the public record tie the hike to imported landed costs that jumped sharply month-on-month, exchange-rate pressure on the shilling, and global crude volatility (including disruption risk in the Middle East) — i.e. the bill arrived before any domestic tax tweak could offset it. This is the opposite story from “VAT fell so pumps fell”: pump prices rose because the world price + freight + currency line moved first.
What that means on the ground: a commuter doing 40 km/day in a 14 km/L hatchback burns ~86 litres a month. A ~KSh 29 move on petrol alone is on the order of KSh 2,500+ extra on that fuel line item before you count diesel for vans, pickups and PSVs. Matatu and boda associations have already signalled fare reviews when diesel crosses this band — the second-order hit is the transport inflation channel, not just the garage receipt.
If you're car-shopping in 2026, the boring maths now matters more than badge: real-world km/L, service costs, and whether you can route trips off-peak matter when every fill stings. Hybrids and efficient small turbos were already winning TCO spreadsheets; this cycle widens the gap against thirsty SUVs you only “needed” for ego.
We will refresh this page when EPRA publishes the May review. Until then, budget conservatively — the same macro drivers that forced this hike can easily flow through again if crude firms or the shilling slips.
Petrol and diesel both crossed KSh 200 in Nairobi — commuters feel it before the spreadsheet does.
