By Andrew Kariuki

Trade and Investments Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui has defended the government’s decision to relax fuel quality standards, telling senators that the move was necessary to ensure Kenya maintains adequate fuel supply amid global market disruptions.

Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, Kinyanjui responded to concerns raised by Migori Senator Eddie Oketch over increased sulphur levels in fuel imported into the country.

Oketch questioned whether the revised standards could negatively affect vehicles and the environment.

In response, the CS said the fuel currently being criticised is similar to what Kenyans had been consuming for years before the country tightened standards in 2025.

“The fuel you are talking about being substandard is the fuel you have been consuming for the last 10 years until August last year. I don’t know how many vehicles went bad,” Kinyanjui told senators.

He explained that Kenya had only recently moved from a sulphur cap of 50 parts per million (ppm) to 10 ppm in August 2025 as part of efforts to improve fuel quality.

“We had just raised our standards from 50-10 in sulphur in August last year,” he stated.

According to Kinyanjui, ongoing instability in the Middle East and damage to oil refineries have significantly affected global fuel sourcing, forcing Kenya to temporarily adjust its standards to guarantee supply.

“There is nothing new we have brought. It is just that the sourcing of petroleum products across the world is a major challenge,” he said.

The CS further indicated that the relaxed standards could remain in place for the next one to two years depending on global supply conditions.

“Between having perfect quality and availability, we chose to have availability,” Kinyanjui told the Senate.

The remarks come amid growing public debate over fuel quality, energy security and the impact of global conflicts on Kenya’s petroleum supply chain.