Paralysis as fuel shortage begins to bite

A looming fuel crisis is beginning to choke the country, with dealers and motorists warning that petrol shortages could paralyse the city within days if urgent action is not taken.

A spot-check by The Standard revealed a shortage of petrol in several stations, even as pumps stare at a possibility of drying up, whilst some have already run out of stock. 

In Nairobi, at Ola Energy in Bellevue along Mombasa Road, petrol was unavailable as the station was only fueling diesel engines. 

James Njogu, the establishment's manager, said the situation is already dire. Despite paying for fuel at the depot on Tuesday, he had yet to receive supplies by Wednesday. 

“I paid for fuel yesterday. It was supposed to be loaded, but up to now, nothing has been delivered,” he said.

The delays, he said, are now threatening to cascade into a full-blown crisis. “If this continues for 10 to 15 days, we will be in serious trouble,” he warned.

At the Shell petrol station near T-Mall along Langata Road, the situation was even worse as the station was deserted, with only a few workers at the station.

One of the employees expressed fear that their job is at stake as persistence of the situation may lead to them being laid off.

Boda boda operators expressed fear that the looming shortage of fuel would disrupt their livelihoods.

Richard Kyalo, who operates a boda boda business around Nairobi's South B and C areas, said he might be forced to stay home if the situation persists, fearing that the cost of fuel may increase in the next price review. 

"A customer who is used to paying Sh100 within a specific distance will tell you they can only afford that despite using more to purchase fuel," he said.

The shortage is also stoking fears of rising living costs. Gikonyo urged the government not only to restore supply but also to resist increasing pump prices.

“Life is already difficult. If fuel prices go up, everything else will rise—even basic items like milk,” he said.

He warned that the boda boda sector alone, which employs over a million Kenyans, could be severely hit.

“All these jobs are at risk,” he added.

In Nyanza and Western, businesses and educational activities are facing a potential paralysis as the effect of the fuel shortage in the country begins to hurt the region.

By yesterday, the few filling stations that still had petroleum products witnessed long queues of vehicles and motorcycles scrambling for fuel.

This happened as those badly affected by the shortage began stocking the commodity amid fears their operations risk grinding to a halt.

And despite the two-week pause in the war in the Middle East, a solution still appears far off, with reports from the Kenya Ports Authority indicating that three oil ships are expected to dock in Mombasa within the next 14 days.

In Kisumu and Kisii, taxi and boda boda operators scrambled to get fuel as other residents raised fears of the long-term impact of the shortage of fuel.

In Kakamega, the fuel crisis has disrupted learning at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), forcing the cancellation and postponement of an academic field trip as the shortage continues to bite across the country.

The university, in an internal memo dated April 8, said a Marine Biology field trip to Mombasa that had been scheduled to begin on April 7 could not proceed after transport operations were paralysed by a lack of fuel.

According to the memo, Vivo Energy (Shell), the institution’s contracted supplier, was unable to deliver fuel due to the ongoing nationwide shortage.

"There has been a country-wide shortage of fuel in Kenya in the recent past. As a result, transport and logistics have been constrained in the last few days. Vivo Energy (Shell), the contracted suppliers to MMUST, were not able to supply fuel. This affected a field course (Marine Biology) trip to Mombasa, which was scheduled to commence on April 7, 2026," read the internal memo.

The disruption at the university mirrors a worsening crisis being felt across Kenya, where motorists and businesses are grappling with limited supply and rising uncertainty.

From early morning, major towns witnessed heavy congestion around filling stations as drivers scrambled to secure the dwindling fuel supplies.

Many stations reported running dry, while those with limited stock were quickly overwhelmed by the surging demand.

“I arrived at the station at 7 a.m., only to find the fuel tank empty. We have no option but to pack our cars at home,” said James Mwangi, a taxi driver.

“We have to keep moving from station to station, wasting time and money. We need to know when this will end.”

Transport operators have been hit hard, with matatus, boda bodas, and long-distance buses reducing trips or hiking fares to cope with the limited supply.

“In Busia, there is no fuel. Everywhere is closed, and where it is available, the price has gone up. I am tempted to cross to our neighbouring country, Uganda,” said Micha Nakhokho, a resident.

Passengers are facing delays and increased travel costs, prompting calls for urgent government intervention.

“Petrol stations here have closed. The government should tell us the truth. Where is the fuel? As a PSV driver, you go to every station and find none. You get stranded with passengers and have to send someone on a motorcycle to look for fuel,” added Elija Omwenga, a PSV driver in Kakamega.

Fuel attendants attribute the scarcity to delayed deliveries and surging demand, especially following recent hikes in fuel prices.

“We are receiving less than half of our usual supply. The trucks are delayed, and the queues keep growing,” said one attendant in Kakamega.

In Kisumu, most boda boda operators had increased the cost of travel by almost double.

"There is no fuel in most petrol stations and we fear the prices will rise in the coming days," said Joshua Ochieng, a boda boda operator.

Report by Okumu Modachi, Mary Imenza and Clinton Ambujoh