Nairobi — Kenyan President William Ruto defended the country’s high fuel prices during a church service at African Gospel Church in Nairobi on April 14, 2026. He attributed the increased costs to Kenya’s status as a middle-income country and said fuel levies fund extensive road construction and maintenance projects.
President William Ruto defended the high fuel prices in Kenya by linking them to the country’s middle-income status and its substantial investments in infrastructure, particularly road construction and maintenance. Speaking at a church service at African Gospel Church in Nairobi on April 14, 2026, Ruto justified the 25-shilling road maintenance levy per litre of fuel, stating that the levies fund the upkeep of over 20,000 kilometres of tarmac roads and the construction of an additional 6,000 kilometres currently underway. He emphasized that Kenya’s paved road network surpasses the combined networks of its East African neighbors, a factor he said justifies the comparatively higher fuel prices.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) announced on April 14 that the price of Super Petrol had increased by 28.69 shillings to 206.97 shillings per litre, while diesel rose by 40.30 shillings to an all-time high of 206.84 shillings per litre.
This marked one of the largest single-month price hikes in Kenya’s history, attributed to global oil market pressures and disruptions in transport and logistics routes linked to crises in the Middle East, according to official sources.
In response to the surge, the government implemented several interventions to moderate the impact on consumers. Effective April 15, 2026, the value-added tax (VAT) on petroleum products was reduced from 16% to 13%, and a further temporary VAT cut to 8% was enacted for three months under the VAT Amendment Bill 2026. Additionally, the government allocated 6.2 billion shillings from the Petroleum Development Levy Fund and announced a 6.5 billion shilling fuel subsidy to stabilize prices. These measures prevented petrol prices from reaching an estimated 260 shillings per litre, officials confirmed.
Ruto also highlighted the benefits of the government-to-government (G2G) fuel import arrangement, which has improved supply stability and reduced opportunities for market manipulation. The arrangement, he said, positions Kenya as a more competitive fuel market in the region despite ongoing global fluctuations. The president asserted that Kenya currently has sufficient fuel supplies, unlike some neighboring countries experiencing shortages, and that the administration continues to monitor global and domestic fuel trends to protect the transport sector and cushion citizens from high costs.
The president dismissed comparisons of Kenya’s fuel prices with those of other East African countries as unfair, citing Kenya’s superior infrastructure and development status. According to Ruto, Kenya’s position as a middle-income country warrants higher fuel costs than those in less developed neighbors. This defense came amid public pressure and criticism over the high pump prices, which remain the highest in the region. Critics have pointed to the price disparity, but Ruto maintained that the levies reflect the necessary costs of maintaining the country’s extensive road network.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has publicly criticized the pricing strategy, alleging that Ruto benefits personally from the G2G arrangement. Gachagua claimed that the president gains 5 shillings per litre, amounting to 2.5 billion shillings monthly and totaling 30 billion shillings since the G2G program’s inception, based on national fuel consumption figures. These allegations followed the April 14 price shock announced by EPRA and have intensified political debate over fuel pricing. The government has committed to ongoing monitoring of the fuel market and to cushioning consumers despite such criticisms, according to official statements.
Kenya’s fuel levies have long been a source of revenue for infrastructure development, with records showing that funds collected contribute significantly to road construction and maintenance projects nationwide. The current administration continues to prioritize these investments as key to economic growth and regional competitiveness. Meanwhile, the government’s interventions aim to balance the need for infrastructure funding with the economic pressures faced by consumers amid volatile global oil markets.
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