This archive report was first published on 22 June 2020.
Kenya's economy continues to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with low economic activity resulting in a substantial decrease in fuel consumption. According to a report by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), demand for petrol and diesel fell by 26.8% and 26.4% respectively in April.
As a result, filling stations in Nairobi have seen a significant drop in daily sales, with some recording dips of up to 70%. However, kerosene consumption has grown by 11.3% in April, reaching 12,291 cubic meters.
Jet A1 fuel has been the hardest hit, with its uptake falling by 85.6% in April. This is a significant drop from 54,080 cubic meters in March to 7,784 cubic meters in April, largely due to the ban on local and international air travel affecting the aviation industry.
Restricted movement within the country has also contributed to the drop in overall fuel consumption. EPRA notes that fuel consumption will only increase with an increase in economic activity.
While Kenya experienced low fuel prices for April, restricted movement in critical routes such as the Mombasa-Nairobi highway led to a significant drop in fuel consumption. As a result, the demand for petrol fell to 113,819 cubic meters from 154,627 cubic meters between March and April.
Lower manufacturing and industry activities have also lowered the demand for diesel by 26.8% to 162,479 cubic meters in the period under review.
