The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) uncovered an illicit petroleum extraction operation in Nairobi on Friday amidst the ongoing fuel controversy.
EPRA reported that the Energy Police Unit conducted a raid at a facility situated on Nadume Road near Lunga-Lunga Road within Nairobi County’s Industrial area.
“Today, our vigilant monitoring and enforcement team, working alongside the Energy Police Unit, raided an outdoor illicit petroleum extraction site situated on Nadume Road near Lunga Lunga Road in Nairobi County’s Industrial area,” EPRA announced in a statement.
Law enforcement authorities confiscated approximately 800 litres of extracted fuel. EPRA additionally retrieved various implements utilized in the unlawful operation, such as rubber hoses, drums, an aluminum container, and 20-liter jerrycans.
Nevertheless, police and EPRA officials failed to apprehend the criminal network responsible for the illegal activities.
EPRA stated that the suspects became aware of the police presence through their informants and fled to avoid capture.
“The location has been secured as the pursuit of the perpetrators intensifies,” EPRA declared.
Analysis reveals that Kenya Pipeline Company storage facilities and fuel depots situated on Nadume Road are positioned approximately 15 kilometers southeast of the Spring Valley area.
This transportation network, extending from Lunga Lunga Road, functions as a vital infrastructure hub for fuel distribution across the metropolitan area and the broader East African region.
Significantly, the petroleum extraction took place in this region where oil marketers collect fuel for distribution throughout Nairobi and surrounding areas.
A substantial shipment of substandard petrol has penetrated the Kenyan market, with approximately 12,000 metric tons of tainted fuel sold to consumers during March and April 2026.
Despite not passing initial quality assessments upon arrival on the MT Paloma vessel on March 27, approximately 20 percent of the 60,000-ton cargo was introduced into the supply system through a contentious government exemption.
The Ministry of Trade is said to have permitted the mixing of the substandard fuel with refined reserves, but the directive arrived too late to prevent a considerable quantity from reaching primary petroleum retail stations nationwide.
Examinations verified that the gasoline contained manganese concentrations of 36.5 mg/kg, exceeding the legal limit by more than 18 times, along with sulfur levels of 43 ppm and benzene content nearly three times the permissible standard.