More households in Kenya are increasingly using cooking gas, buoyed by the lower cost of the fuel following recent tax incentives by the government.
Data from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) shows that the uptake of cooking gas in Kenyan homes rose by 14.1 percent to 443,932.46 tonnes in the year ended June 2025 from 388,970 tonnes posted in the previous year.
The average retail price for a 13-kilogramme cooking gas cylinder was Sh3,134.91 in June 2025, down from Sh3,213.97 recorded last year.
Epra says the increased usage has been attributed to government incentives, including the removal of the eight percent value-added tax, 3.5 percent Import Declaration Fee, and 2.5 percent Railway Development Levy in July 2023, in a bid to lower prices of the commodity.
“The demand for LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) has been on an upward trend as a result of government policy incentives, including the zero-rating of LPG. This demand is expected to grow further with the implementation of the National LPG Growth Strategy,” said Epra.
“The strategy stipulates the use of LPG in public learning institutions, reticulation in households, and cylinder distribution to low-income households.”
Epra notes that Kenyans used cooking gas the most in May 2025, recording 40,478.32 tonnes, while March posted the lowest usage, or 33,082.32 tonnes, in the year under review.
Cooking gas usage hit 443,932.46 tonnes in the year ended June, a record high as consumers defied rising prices of the commodity, offering a major lift to the State’s ambitions of making the commodity the number one cooking fuel.
The rise in demand for LPG came despite rising prices, as oil marketers denied consumers the benefits of falling global prices of the commodity and a strengthening shilling, which reduced the cost of importing the fuel.
“This upward trend is expected to continue with the rollout of the National LPG Growth Strategy, which promotes LPG adoption in public institutions, households, and among low-income communities.”
Infrastructure developments have played a role in the uptake of cooking gas, particularly among households transitioning from traditional biomass fuels.
“The commissioning of the Lake Gas facility in Vipingo, Kilifi County, has boosted storage capacity for LPG receiving terminals, improving supply security. In tandem, the government’s planned implementation of an Open Tender System for LPG will enhance competitiveness, transparency, and efficiency in imports,” said Epra.
The regulator says the total LPG import receiving infrastructure capacity in Mombasa and Kilifi stands at about 37,335 tonnes, with 139 LPG bulk storage and filling plants distributed in various parts of the country, compared to 27,335 tonnes and 134 facilities in the previous year.
