NAIROBI, Kenya, July 17 – Kenya’s petroleum consumption in the first quarter of this year grew by 7.1 percent to 1.6 million cubic meters compared to 1.4 million cubic meters during a similar period in the preceding year, data from the Petroleum Institute of East Africa shows, buoyed by aviation sector growth.
“The main specific product drivers of growth in the period under review Q1 2025 are aviation fuel (Avgas and Jet-A1) at 6% and 4.8% growth respectively which can be directly attributed to an increase in international and local air travel and is a good indicator of improved performance in the tourism sector,” PIEA data indicates.
Increased usage of heavy fuel oil (HFO), a residual fuel from crude oil refinery that is commonly used in marine engines, also boosted petroleum product consumption. In Q1 of 2025, for instance, HFO uptake expanded by 144 percent, coming on the back of Mombasa Port’s growth trajectory.
However, PIEA statistics reveal that consumption of petrol, diesel, and lubricants contracted by 0.81 percent, 4.1 percent, and 2 percent, respectively. Depressed sales were slowed down by dwindling demand in passenger and freight road transport as well as the railway sub-sector.
