India Surpasses Gulf Producers to Become Kenya's Top Fuel Supplier
India has surpassed Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to become Kenya's largest supplier of petroleum products, a shift driven by disruptions in Middle Eastern fuel-trading routes.
The change marks a significant departure from Kenya's traditional reliance on Gulf producers, with India now supplying gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and fuel oil to the East African nation. According to data from Belgian commodity-data company Kpler, cited by energy economist Anas Alhajji, India replaced the UAE and Saudi Arabia as a supplier of petroleum products to Kenya.
The shift is attributed to disruptions in Middle Eastern fuel-trading routes caused by the US-Iran conflict, which has forced Kenya to diversify its sources. With its large refining capacity and established export infrastructure, India has been able to supply the resulting demand. UAE shipments to Kenya fell sharply from about 90,000 barrels per day in January to around 15,000 barrels per day in August.