Kenya Moves To Introduce Ethanol-Blended Petrol To Reduce Fuel Imports

Kenya is moving forward with the implementation of the Energy (Biofuels) Regulations, 2025, which will support the phased rollout of locally produced biofuel blends across the country’s fuel supply chain.

The initiative forms part of broader national efforts to strengthen energy security, diversify energy sources, and reduce dependence on imported fuel.

As part of the implementation process, the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) convened a high-level stakeholder consultation that brought together regulators, oil marketing companies, ethanol producers, manufacturers, logistics firms, and other industry participants.

The discussions focused on sector preparedness, infrastructure requirements, implementation priorities, and the operationalisation of Kenya’s biofuel blending framework.

The regulations establish a framework for blending locally produced biofuels with petroleum through the phased introduction of E5 and E10 fuels. E5 contains 5% bioethanol, while E10 contains 10% bioethanol.

Gazetted in December 2025, the Energy (Biofuels) Regulations, 2025, cover biofuel production, licensing, blending, transportation, storage, distribution, and sales.

The rollout comes at a time when countries are reassessing their energy security and fuel resilience amid ongoing global oil market volatility and geopolitical disruptions.

Bioethanol is produced from feedstocks such as sugarcane molasses, cassava, maize, and sorghum through fermentation and distillation, while biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils, waste cooking oil, and other organic materials through chemical processing.

Bioethanol and biodiesel can also be further refined to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which is increasingly being adopted globally as part of efforts to decarbonise the aviation sector.

Governments around the world are promoting biofuels to strengthen energy resilience, reduce oil dependence, support agriculture, diversify fuel sources, and lower transport emissions.

Countries such as Brazil, India, the United States, Thailand, and South Africa have expanded biofuel blending programmes. Kenya aims to leverage local feedstocks to support a similar transition, creating economic opportunities across agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, and renewable energy.

Speaking during the stakeholder consultation, Dr. Eng. Joseph Oketch, Acting Director General of EPRA, said:

“The Biofuels Regulations provide Kenya with an important opportunity to strengthen energy security while building new local industries around agriculture, manufacturing, and renewable energy. As we scale up domestic bioethanol production and structured blending, we can gradually reduce exposure to external fuel shocks while creating new opportunities for farmers, investors, manufacturers, and other players across the value chain.”