EPRA fuel prices: How November’s price freeze could affect bus fares ahead of Christmas travel rush

Kenya’s decision to maintain petrol and diesel prices for another month comes at a critical time for long-distance travellers, with bus companies already publishing December 2026 fares ahead of the Christmas holiday rush.

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) announced its latest fuel price review on Saturday, November 14, 2026, maintaining the maximum retail prices of Super Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene for the period between Sunday, November 15 and Monday, December 14, 2026.

The decision means motorists and transport operators will not face another pump-price increase during the first weeks of the festive travel season, despite higher costs of importing petroleum products.

In Nairobi, a litre of Super Petrol continues to retail at a maximum of Ksh226.96, while Diesel remains at Ksh227.76 and Kerosene at Ksh219.87.

However, the unchanged prices come as long-distance bus operators begin preparing for increased passenger numbers, with some already communicating their December travel charges.

One of the companies to publish its festive season fares is ENA Coach, which has outlined the amounts passengers will pay on several routes connecting Nairobi to Western Kenya, Nyanza and the Coast.

In an update shared on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, ENA Coach addressed travellers preparing for the December holidays, publishing its latest fare schedule for various destinations.

“Have you secured a ticket? These are the Dec rates as of now,” the company stated in a post on its official Facebook page.

According to the published schedule, passengers travelling between Nairobi and several Western Kenya and Nyanza destinations will pay between Ksh1,700 and Ksh1,800, depending on their routes.

Some of the routes attracting a Ksh1,800 fare include Nairobi to Busia through Nambale, Kakamega and Kapsabet, Nairobi to Kisumu through Ahero, and Nairobi to Port Victoria through Funyula and Bumala.

Travellers heading to Kisii through Oyugis and Nyamira through Kendu Bay, Sondu and Kadongo will pay Ksh1,700.

For passengers travelling from selected Western Kenya and Nyanza towns to Mombasa, ENA Coach has listed a fare of Ksh3,000 across several routes, including journeys originating from Busia, Kisumu, Mbita, Kendu Bay and Port Victoria.

The company described the published charges as the fares available at the time of its announcement, meaning travellers should confirm the applicable rates when booking.

The timing of EPRA’s announcement is significant because diesel is a major operating expense for long-distance buses and other commercial transport vehicles.

Keeping diesel prices unchanged gives operators some predictability in their fuel expenditure as they prepare for the increase in passenger demand expected towards Christmas.

However, stable pump prices do not necessarily translate into unchanged passenger fares. Transport companies also consider vehicle maintenance, staff expenses, route distances, demand and seat availability when determining their charges.

This means passengers should not automatically expect lower fares simply because EPRA has maintained fuel prices.

EPRA’s decision followed an increase in the average landed cost of imported petroleum products between September and October 2026.

The government applied Ksh4.6 billion from the Petroleum Development Levy Fund to prevent the additional import costs from being transferred to consumers.

“The Government has applied Kshs.4.6 billion from the Petroleum Development Levy Fund to stabilise the computed petroleum pump prices for the November-December 2026 cycle,” EPRA stated in its November 14 press release.

The authority added that without the intervention, Super Petrol would have increased by Ksh8.58 per litre, Diesel by Ksh10.54 and Kerosene by Ksh1.16.

The intervention therefore provides temporary relief to transport operators and other fuel consumers as the country approaches the festive season.

The current fuel prices are scheduled to remain in force until December 14, 2026, when EPRA’s next monthly review takes effect.

This means the next announcement will come as the Christmas travel period approaches its peak, potentially attracting attention from passengers and transport operators planning their operations.

For now, the combination of unchanged fuel prices and published December bus fares gives travellers an opportunity to estimate their transport budgets and secure tickets ahead of the holiday rush.

Whether the stability at fuel stations will translate into stable bus fares throughout December will depend on subsequent fuel price reviews and individual transport companies’ pricing decisions.