Kenya should treat the recent Middle East crisis as a warning to strengthen its fuel security and prepare for future global supply disruptions, Kiminini MP Kakai Bisau has said.
During an interview with Radio Generation on Wednesday, the legislator urged the government to increase strategic fuel reserves, expand storage infrastructure and improve supply chain management, saying such investments are necessary to protect the country from external shocks that push up fuel prices and the cost of living.
Bisau, who is also President for Peace and Security at the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), said Kenya remains highly exposed to disruptions along major international shipping routes because it depends heavily on imported fuel.
According to him, conflicts affecting global maritime trade quickly ripple through the economy by increasing shipping costs, delaying cargo and raising the prices of fuel and other essential commodities.
He said the recent uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz had once again highlighted the need for Kenya to build stronger systems capable of absorbing international shocks instead of reacting after prices have already risen.
Bisau explained that although the Strait of Hormuz stretches only about 33 kilometres at its narrowest point, it remains one of the world's most important energy corridors because nearly 20 percent of global fuel supplies pass through it.
"The crisis in the Middle East, especially if you look at the Strait of Hormuz, is not a big distance, but it is so critical because it connects Iran and Oman, and most of the fuel that passes around that area is close to 20 percent of the global requirement. If there is a blockade, fuel becomes very expensive, deliveries are delayed because ships have to use the Cape of Good Hope, and there are businessmen who hike prices or even hoard goods to create shortages," he said.
He added that the consequences extend to Kenya's export sector, noting that tea, coffee, flowers and meat shipped to Middle Eastern markets are also affected when supply chains are interrupted, slowing reverse logistics.
Bisau's remarks come against the backdrop of continued instability in the Middle East. The conflict escalated on February 28, 2026, after the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, leading Iran to impose restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries around one-fifth of the world's oil supplies and 27 percent of internationally traded petroleum.
The conflict has further spread through the involvement of Iran-backed groups, including Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis, disrupting commercial shipping across the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea.
As a result, Brent crude prices have climbed above Sh11,610 per barrel while freight charges, insurance premiums and delivery times have all increased, affecting the movement of fuel, fertiliser and manufactured goods.
The rising costs have placed additional pressure on oil-importing economies such as Kenya, contributing to more expensive transport, higher fuel bills and increased prices of everyday commodities.
Bisau said Kenya should use the current situation to assess whether its fuel reserves and storage infrastructure are adequate to cushion the country during future international crises.
"This crisis gives us an opportunity as a country to ask ourselves whether we are doing things correctly. What are our stockpiles like? Do we have enough fuel to take care of a crisis? Do we have storage capacity? If you look at our refinery facilities, they are probably older. They have become archaic. We have not been investing strategically to build the capacity to store fuel or to mitigate crises like this."
He further argued that supply chain experts should play a bigger role in shaping public policy, saying the profession has gained greater recognition after years of being overlooked despite its importance in managing national resources.
"For the last 40 years I have worked in supply chain, things have really changed. Supply chain now has a seat at the high table. Government is recognising the profession and involving it in policy formulation, but in the past there was a big gap," he concluded.