The State Department for Petroleum has invited Kenyans to propose a name for the country’s crude oil ahead of first oil production on December 1, 2026, with submissions open until 5pm on Thursday, October 29, through an online portal, email and physical delivery in Nairobi.
In a public notice, the department says Kenya is on the threshold of becoming a crude oil producing and exporting nation. Commercially viable oil was discovered in the South Lokichar Basin in Turkana County in 2012, and the fields there now hold the country’s first commercial oil development. First Oil will move Kenya from exploration and pilot production into full commercial production, after which the crude will be offered to international refiners and traders.
The notice explains why a name matters. Every crude traded globally is known by one, such as Brent for the United Kingdom, Murban for the United Arab Emirates, Bonny Light for Nigeria and Pearl Sweet for Uganda.
The name appears on cargo documents, price reports and trading screens, and it travels with every barrel the country sells. Kenya’s chosen name will be its commercial identity in the global oil market for decades, which is why the government wants citizens to take part.
The invitation is issued under Articles 10 and 118 of the Constitution, which deal with national values and public participation, and the Petroleum Act. Members of the public, communities, institutions and professional bodies can submit proposals. Each should state the proposed name, its meaning and why it is suitable, along with the sender’s name, telephone number and email address.
Submissions will be judged against set criteria. A name should be distinctly Kenyan and speak for the whole nation, carry patriotic pride, and be easy to pronounce and remember in any language. It must not be tied to a single county, community or company, must carry no political, religious or divisive association, and must be available for trademark registration in Kenya and abroad.
Views can be sent through the portal at www.petroleum.go.ke, by email to crudeoilbranding@petroleum.go.ke, or in a sealed envelope marked “Public Participation: Naming of Kenya’s Crude Oil”, addressed to the Principal Secretary at Kasneb Towers Two, 11th floor.
The project is being developed by Gulf Energy, which plans to produce 20,000 barrels a day in the first phase, rising to 50,000 barrels a day in the second. At 158.9 litres to a barrel, that is about 3.18 million litres a day, rising to about 7.95 million litres. The development is valued at about $6 billion, and first exports are expected through the port of Mombasa in the first quarter of 2027.
