Archive · 27 Aug 2026
India Replaces Gulf Suppliers as Kenya’s Fuel Source Amid Disruptions
Kenya used to get much of its fuel from Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
In 2026, those supplies became smaller.
India began sending Kenya more gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and fuel oil.
One shipment carried kerosene from India’s Sikka port to Kenya’s Mombasa port.
India also sent about 60,000 tonnes of gasoline to Kenya in April.
Kenya still imported large amounts of fuel in July and August.
This suggests that Kenya changed suppliers rather than running out of fuel.
India’s fuel exports to Africa reached a record high in July.
India became a major supplier of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and fuel oil to Kenya during the first eight months of 2026.
United Arab Emirates shipments to Kenya fell from about 90,000 barrels per day in January to roughly 15,000 in August.
Kenya’s petroleum-product imports remained high at about 200,000 barrels per day in July and 185,000 in August.
India shipped roughly 60,000 tonnes of gasoline to Kenya in April, while additional kerosene and diesel cargoes were scheduled from Sikka to Mombasa.
India’s petroleum-product exports to Africa rose 66% year over year in July, as global trade restrictions and regional disruptions redirected cargoes.
- Who
- Indian refiners, Kenyan fuel importers, and traditional Gulf suppliers including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
- What
- India has become a major supplier of refined petroleum products to Kenya as Gulf shipments decline.
- When
- The shift occurred during the first eight months of 2026, with specific shipment and import data reported for March through August.
- Where
- Fuel moved from India, including Sikka, to Kenya, including the port of Mombasa.
- Why
- West Asia supply disruptions and changes in international trade restrictions affected traditional supply routes and redirected more fuel cargoes toward India and Africa.
Supply Disruption Explanation
Supplier Reconfiguration Explanation
Cause of the shift
Supply Disruption Explanation
West Asia war and related shipping disruptions reduced the reliability of traditional Gulf fuel supplies to Kenya.
Supplier Reconfiguration Explanation
Analysts cited in the reports said the crisis mainly reshuffled suppliers, with India filling the gap rather than Kenya experiencing a broad fuel shortage.
Role of trade restrictions
Supply Disruption Explanation
Restrictions on petroleum products refined from Russian crude in third countries, including measures associated with the European Union, redirected Indian cargoes toward Africa.
Supplier Reconfiguration Explanation
The available data also shows that Kenya’s imports remained substantial, so the change cannot be described solely as a collapse in supply.
- United Arab Emirates shipments
- Shipments to Kenya fell from about 90,000 barrels per day in January to roughly 15,000 barrels per day in August 2026.
- Kenya’s fuel imports
- Petroleum-product inflows were about 200,000 barrels per day in July and 185,000 barrels per day in August.
- April gasoline shipments
- About 60,000 tonnes of gasoline were shipped from India to Kenya in April, according to cited Vortexa data.
- Sikka-Mombasa shipment
- An 82.38-million-litre kerosene cargo was loaded at Sikka and discharged at Mombasa on March 19.
- India’s refining capacity
- India has 22 operational refineries with installed capacity of 258.1 million tonnes annually.
- India’s petroleum exports
- Indian refiners exported 61.5 million tonnes of petroleum products in 2025-26.
- India-Kenya trade
- Bilateral trade reached $4.31 billion in 2025-26; Indian exports accounted for $4.01 billion.
