Epra, Kebs say local petroleum meets required standards

Peter Langat, product quality excellence lead Vivo energy Kenya takes a sample of V-power fuel at Shell Lavington roundabout for further investigation and testing on 4th February 2025 at their Lab at Industrial Area in Nairobi. [Edward Kiplmo, Standard]

Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) and Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) have said fuel sold in the country is of the highest quality, following recent concerns about some petroleum products including Shell V-Power.

In a joint statement Thursday, the two regulators said all imported petroleum fuels undergo testing and certification before being released into the market as part of quality assurance measures.

“In light of the recent reports and videos circulating on social media, we have conducted extensive confirmatory tests on fuel samples from various petroleum retail stations, including those specifically mentioned in the reports,” the statement said. “We are pleased to report that the results of these tests confirm that the fuel at all sampled stations meet the recommended Research Octane Number (RON) ratings as stipulated by Kenyan standards.

The announcement offers some relief for major oil marketing company Vivo Energy Kenya which distributes and markets Shell products, which has endured an onslaught in the last few days after someone posted a video of themselves testing Shell V-Power, which they said was not of the required quality. The regulators cautioned the public against using uncalibrated equipment to test products.

“We would like to caution consumers and the general public that there are gadgets in the market that can provide a qualitative indication of the RON but the results from these gadgets cannot be guaranteed unless confirmed through laboratory tests that follow the required standard procedures,” they said.

“The Kenya Bureau of Standards and Epra are committed to upholding transparency and accuracy in our findings, and we remain dedicated to ensuring that the fuel available to consumers meets the highest standards.”