Kenya Sets Oil Production Date, Invites Public to Name Country’s Oil

• The State Department for Petroleum opened a public participation process for Kenyans to propose names for the country’s first commercial crude oil
• The government set December 1, 2026 as the date for First Oil, marking Kenya’s entry into full commercial crude oil production
• Submissions must meet a set of national criteria and reach the State Department no later than October 29, 2026

TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Kenya’s State Department for Petroleum has called on citizens, institutions and professional bodies to submit proposed names for the country’s crude oil as it prepares to enter the global oil market on December 1, 2026 — the date designated for first oil.

The invitation, issued by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum under Articles 10 and 118 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 and the Petroleum Act, Cap. 308, marks a significant step in Kenya’s transition from exploration into full commercial production.

Why Kenya’s crude needs a name

Every grade of crude oil traded internationally carries a distinct name that appears on cargo documents, price reports and trading platforms.

Nigeria markets Bonny Light, Uganda trades Pearl Sweet, the United Arab Emirates sells Murban, and the United Kingdom is represented by Brent.

“Kenya’s chosen name will serve as its commercial identity in the global oil market for decades, travelling with every barrel the country exports to international refiners and traders,” the department stated in MyGov on Tuesday, October 27.

How to submit a name proposal

The State Department has outlined clear criteria against which all proposals will be assessed. A qualifying name must be distinctly Kenyan and represent the entire nation, carry a sense of patriotism and national pride, be easy to pronounce and remember across languages, and avoid association with any single county, community or company. Names with political, religious or divisive connotations will not be considered, and the chosen name must be available for trademark registration both in Kenya and internationally.

Each submission should include the proposed name, its meaning and justification, as well as the name, telephone number and email address of the person or organisation submitting.

Proposals can be submitted through three channels: via the online portal at the State Department for Petroleum’s website, by email to crudeoilbranding@petroleum.go.ke, or by physical delivery in a sealed envelope marked “public Participation: Naming of Kenya’s Crude Oil” and addressed to the Principal Secretary, State Department for Petroleum, at Kasneb Towers Two, 11th floor.

All submissions must be received by 5:00pm on Thursday, October 29, 2026.

When was oil discovered in Kenya?

Commercially viable crude oil was first discovered in the South Lokichar Basin in Turkana County in 2012.

The fields that form the project now hold Kenya’s first commercial oil development.

The South Lokichar Basin is estimated to hold recoverable reserves of approximately 560 million barrels, with peak production capacity projected at around 100,000 barrels per day once full commercial operations commence.

Source: TUKO.co.ke