Government Assures Fuel Supply After Temporary Shortage, Says Normal Delivery Restored
Nairobi, Kenya – The Kenyan government has moved swiftly to reassure the public that normal fuel supply has been fully restored across the country following days of sporadic shortages that left motorists queuing at select filling stations and raised fears of a wider crisis.
Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi confirmed on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, that the disruption, which affected isolated outlets across the nation, was the result of a technical and administrative hitch in the downstream supply chain rather than any fundamental shortfall in national fuel reserves. The CS emphasized that the matter has been fully resolved and that restocking efforts are already underway to ensure every affected station receives product by the end of the day.
Speaking through an official statement, Wandayi sought to calm public anxiety and discourage panic buying, which had begun to emerge in some areas as motorists rushed to secure fuel amid the uncertainty. He reiterated that Kenya maintains adequate fuel stocks to meet current demand and that the temporary glitch never reflected a broader national shortage.
The Ministry of Energy is working closely with industry stakeholders, including oil marketing companies and independent dealers, to normalise deliveries and prevent any recurrence of the disruption. Wandayi underscored the government’s commitment to maintaining energy security and ensuring an uninterrupted fuel supply to households, businesses, and industries, noting the critical role of petroleum products in supporting economic stability.
The shortages, which became apparent earlier in the week, had sparked concern among motorists and businesses reliant on steady fuel availability. In Nairobi, taxi drivers and boda boda riders reported being turned away from several service stations within the central business district, with some riders forced to charge passengers above normal rates due to the difficulty of securing fuel.
Fred Mucheru, a taxi driver operating in the capital, described moving from one petrol station to another, encountering long queues before finally managing to refuel. Macmilan Midarimo, a boda boda rider, told local media that many stations in the city centre were completely empty, forcing riders to search further afield and pass the additional costs on to their customers.
Despite the government’s assurances, industry sources point to deeper challenges within the downstream supply chain that have contributed to the recent instability. Independent dealers, who account for up to 68 per cent of fueling points across the country and move approximately 40 per cent of industry volumes, have reported ongoing difficulties securing products from major oil marketing companies.
According to the Petroleum Outlets Association of Kenya (POAK), some major OMCs are limiting the quantities they sell to smaller dealers, with others completely locking independents out of the supply chain. This forces independent dealers to buy at the pump from major players, which compresses their margins and creates artificial scarcity at retail level as consumers all rush to the same stations.
Martin Chomba, chairman of POAK, has previously highlighted that this structural issue creates a fragile supply environment where any small disruption is magnified. When independent dealers cannot access product directly, the burden of serving the majority of the country’s fueling points falls on a small number of major OMCs, whose own distribution networks become overwhelmed.
Chomba explained that this dynamic means the people served by independent dealers are forced to all rush to town to fuel at the same stations, which leads directly to the kind of shortages witnessed over the past several days.
The recent disruption also follows a pattern of supply challenges that have plagued the sector in recent months. At the beginning of May, global refined petroleum product supplies were experiencing significant tightening, particularly in jet fuel and industrial feedstocks, despite an overall abundance of crude oil.
Kenya had reportedly been struggling to secure products for import, with vessel availability proving difficult according to industry players, hurting shipments into the country. Additionally, in the first week of April, hoarding of products by major oil marketing companies in anticipation of a price increase was blamed for similar shortages that left motorists scrambling.
Energy CS Wandayi, however, maintains that these underlying issues do not reflect the current situation and that the technical hitch has been isolated and resolved. He reiterated his reassurances that the country has sufficient fuel stocks and that there should be no cause for alarm among consumers.
The CS noted that fuel deliveries to affected areas are already progressing and that normal supply levels will be visible across all outlets by the end of the day. He called on Kenyans to avoid panic buying, which only serves to exacerbate temporary shortages and create unnecessary pressure on the distribution system.
The government’s assurance comes as welcome news for businesses and households that depend on consistent fuel availability for transport, agriculture, manufacturing, and daily commuting. With the cost of living already under pressure from high pump prices, any prolonged disruption would have sent shockwaves through an already strained economy.
For now, the government says the crisis has been averted, and motorists can expect to find fuel at their local stations once again. However, the repeated nature of these supply interruptions—with similar shortages reported in both April and May—raises questions about the resilience of Kenya’s fuel supply chain and whether deeper structural reforms may be needed to prevent a recurrence in the near future
