Nairobi — The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has extended the exemption period granted to a strategic business partnership between the National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOC) and Rubis Energy Kenya Limited from five years to eight years, strengthening the long-term collaboration between the two firms.
In a Gazette notice dated December 30, 2025, the Authority said the revised exemption will now run for eight years beginning December 13, 2024, covering specific clauses of the proposed Strategic Business Partnership agreement between the state-owned oil marketer and the multinational fuel distributor.
The extension amends an earlier approval issued in January 2025, which had granted the partnership a five-year exemption from certain provisions of the Competition Act to allow the firms to operationalize the deal.
"The Authority has amended the exemption period granted with respect to specific clauses of the proposed Strategic Business Partnership," read the notice in part.
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"From a period of five (5) years to a period of eight (8) years beginning 13th December, 2024."
The Competition Authority noted that the exemption clauses themselves remain unchanged, as outlined in Gazette Notice No. 667 dated January 24, 2025, indicating regulatory continuity while allowing the partnership a longer runway.
The NOC-Rubis partnership is part of broader efforts to stabilize Kenya's downstream petroleum sector, improve fuel supply reliability and strengthen the role of the National Oil Corporation, which has faced financial and operational challenges in recent years.
Rubis, which has expanded its footprint across East Africa, has increasingly positioned itself as a strategic partner in fuel storage, distribution and retail.
In recent months, regulators have shown flexibility in approving strategic collaborations within the energy sector, as the government seeks to attract investment, reduce supply disruptions and enhance competition without undermining market stability.
