Fuel dealers across the country have been put on notice after regulators uncovered cases of contaminated fuel and illegal diesel sales during a nationwide inspection exercise.
In a notice seen by Business Today, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) said checks carried out between October and December 2025 revealed that some retailers were selling adulterated diesel or diverting fuel meant for export into the local market.
The authority inspected 967 fuel outlets and conducted 4,394 quality tests. While the vast majority met the required standards, ten sites failed and were sanctioned.
According to EPRA, fuel adulteration remains a major problem, with some operators mixing kerosene into diesel to increase margins.
The regulator warned that the practice causes serious damage to vehicle engines, increases fuel consumption, and releases harmful emissions into the air.
“During the period October – December 2025, the Authority conducted a total of 4,394 tests at 967 petroleum sites. From the tests, 957 (98.97%) of the sites were found to be compliant. However, tests from 10 sites (1.03%) turned out to be non-compliant,” EPRA noted.
EPRA also raised concern over the illegal sale of export-bound diesel, which attracts lower taxes and denies the government much-needed revenue.
One of the confirmed cases was reported on October 23, 2025, when inspectors found a filling station in Ngata, Nakuru County, selling diesel that had been mixed with kerosene. The station paid a fine of Ksh 140,141 and was only allowed to reopen after replacing its fuel stocks.
A similar violation was recorded on November 21, 2025, in Wote, Makueni County, where a service station was caught selling export-grade diesel locally. The operator paid Ksh 132,780 in penalties and corrected its fuel inventory before resuming operations.
Several other cases are still being handled by enforcement agencies. A filling station in Bukura, Kakamega County, remains closed after being found with adulterated diesel in November.
In Mombasa’s Likoni area, two fuel tankers were impounded on November 26, 2025, for allegedly transporting export diesel into the domestic market, with court cases ongoing.
In Taita Taveta County, authorities seized another truck after tests showed the diesel had high sulphur content and signs of kerosene mixing.
In Moyale, Marsabit County, inspectors recovered jerrycans of high-sulphur diesel stored at a Kenya Revenue Authority yard, with investigators suspecting the fuel had been smuggled. The seized fuel remains in custody as legal proceedings continue.
EPRA noted that the ten non-compliant sites represent just over one per cent of all outlets inspected, an indication that most retailers are operating within the law.
However, the authority stressed that any breach will attract strict penalties under the Petroleum Act, 2019, including closure, fines, seizure of fuel and vehicles, and prosecution.
The regulator has urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspected cases of fuel adulteration or illegal fuel sales, saying public cooperation is key to maintaining fuel quality and protecting consumers.
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