India becomes key fuel supplier to Kenya

India has emerged as Kenya's biggest source of petroleum products, overtaking Gulf giants like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as the US-Iran war in the Middle East disrupted global fuel-trading routes. While India is a petroleum-importing nation, it has expanded its refining capacity massively in the last few decades. According to Belgian commodity-data company Kpler, Dallas-based energy economist Anas Alhajji, said, "India has replaced the UAE and Saudi Arabia as the supplier of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and fuel oil to Kenya."
The United Arab Emirates, Kenya's long-time dominant suppliers, was shipping roughly 90,000 barrels a day into the country in January. By August, that figure had come down to around 15,000 barrels a day. Despite the disruptions in supply caused by West Asia war, Kenya's overall fuel intake has held up. Total petroleum product imports stood at about 200,000 barrels a day in July and 185,000 barrels a day in August. According to analysts, the crisis has triggered a reshuffling of suppliers rather than a genuine shortage. Energy economist Anas Alhajji, citing Kpler figures, said India has effectively taken over as Kenya's supplier of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and fuel oil, displacing both the UAE and Saudi Arabia. India's fuel exports to Africa hit a record in July, up 66% from a year earlier.

India has replaced the UAE and Saudi Arabia as the supplier of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and fuel oil to Kenya. pic.twitter.com/84NmMavGAA

— Anas Alhajji (@anasalhajji) August 26, 2026

India is the world's fourth-largest oil refiner and Asia's second largest, according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Its 22 operational refineries have an installed capacity of 258.1 million tonnes annually. India exported 61.5 million tonnes of petroleum products in 2025-26 despite importing over 90% of its crude oil. The world's largest oil-refining complex is also in India. It is the Reliance Industries complex at Jamnagar, Gujarat.
The rise of Indian export of petroleum products to Kenya coincides with a sharp expansion in trade with the eastern African region. India's exports to Kenya increased 151.41% by value in July 2026 compared with July 2025, placing the African nation among India's five fastest-growing export destinations that month, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.