For the past one month, Kenya has been facing an artificial fuel shortage with a number of stations opting to temporarily shut down, while others have been issuing the little fuel available with restrictions.
Following the crisis, a number of claims have been made regarding the owners of top oil companies in Kenya, with a section of netizens linking some prominent oil companies to powerful individuals in the government.
In this article, NairobiLeo outlines some of the top oil companies in Kenya and their respective owners:
Vivo energy
It is one of the leading oil companies in Kenya. Vivo Energy was established in December 2011 with its headquarters being in London.
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It operates in 23 countries across Africa with Kenya being one of its top markets. In Kenya, Vivo energy is the single distributor for Shell-branded fuels and lubricants. Vivo has a 34.2% market share in the country and a market value of $6.918 billion.
Vivo Energy is a Public Limited Company (PLC) whose shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
By the end of 2020, Vivo energy’s majority shareholder was Vitol group with 36.10%. The other major shareholders include; Helios Investment Partners associated companies with 27.23%, Petronas Marketing International SDN BHD with 3.93%, and other unmentioned shareholders with 32.74%.
Vivo Energy Kenya is currently headed by Peter Murungi who is the Managing Director.
Total Energies
Total Energies Kenya is part of the Total Energies group that boasts of being the 4th largest oil and gas company in the world.
It was founded in 1955 and currently has over 200 stations in Kenya. Total energies commands a 38.6% market share in Kenya.
Total’s takeover of the Kenyan oil sector began in 2010 when it acquired 165 stations that were previously owned by Caltex.
Total is a public limited company; meaning it is owned y shareholders across the world.
Currently, one share of Total Energies goes for € 46.785 in Paris. In Kenya, Total energy is headed by Olagoke Aluko who is the Director and Chairman of the company.
File image of a Total fuel station. [Photo: Courtesy]
Rubis Energy
It' a French energy company that focuses on the distribution of petroleum products that include; service station networks, commercial fuel oil, aviation fuel, LPG, and bitumens among others.
It was founded in 1990 by Frenchman Giles Robin. In 2019, it made a major entry after purchasing assets that were previously owned by Kenol Kobil.
It also acquired Gulf Energy and quickly became one of top oil companies in Kenya. Rubis Energy Kenya is 100% owned by Rubis Energie which is based in France.
Rubis Energie is a subsidiary of the Rubis Group which is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange.
As a listed Company. The head of the company in Kenya was Jean-Christian Bergeron who was also incharge of Rubis operations in East Africa.
He, was, however, recently deported by the Kenyan government over claims of economic sabotage.
Ola Energy
Ola Energy is operated by Libya Oil. Previously, it was known as Oil Libya. Ola reportedly commands a market share of 5.5 in Kenya.
The company is owned by Tamoil Africa Holdings Limited and operates in at least 17 countries across Africa.
In Kenya, Ola has over 100 petrol stations countrywide. In Kenya, Ola is headed by Mr. Fayed Mohamed Altwair who was appointed CEO in late 2021.
National Oil
It is a government-owned corporation that was formed through joint ownership by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining and the National Treasury.
According to information on its website, National Oil became operational in 1984 and its initial operations were limited to exploration activities delegated by the Ministry of Energy.
In 1988, National Oil started participating in the importation and sale of petroleum products including crude oil, white fuels, lubricants, and LPG; a role it has maintained to date.
National Oil is currently headed by Leparan Gideon ole Morintat.
