The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has reported a steady rise in cooking gas prices, hitting a 10-month high, despite the government’s removal of VAT and other taxes meant to cushion households.
Many Kenyans who had switched to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a cleaner, safer alternative to charcoal and kerosene are now feeling the pinch as prices soar. According to KNBS, the average cost of a 13-kilogramme gas cylinder rose to KSh 3,158.35 in August 2025, up from KSh 3,146.58 in July, marking the second consecutive month of increases. The figure is only slightly below the October 2024 high of KSh 3,183.29.
Although September saw a minor dip of KSh 7, bringing the price down to KSh 3,151.65, overall costs remain significantly elevated. KNBS attributed the rise to a 0.8% increase in the housing, water, electricity, gas, and fuels index over the past year, a sector that, together with other sectors, accounts for more than half of household expenditure.
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This comes despite President William Ruto’s earlier pledge to make cooking gas more affordable, and the government’s tax relief measures, which included eliminating the 2.5% railway development levy, the 5% import declaration fee, and the 8% Value Added Tax on LPG imports in July 2023.
Data from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) shows that demand for LPG rose by 7%, from 414,861 tonnes in 2024 to 443,932.46 tonnes by June 2025. The increase in usage coincided with the period of lower prices earlier in the year.
EPRA noted that with the rollout of the National LPG Growth Strategy, demand is expected to continue rising, even as prices remain stubbornly high.
