Riva Petroleum Marks 30-Year Partnership With Vivo Energy Kenya

Riva Petroleum Dealers Limited has marked 30 years of partnership with Vivo Energy Kenya, an alliance that demonstrated Riva Petroleum commitment to being a single-brand lubricants distributor and has relentlessly pursued for excellence even with difficult economic landscapes.

From humble beginnings as a Shell lubricants reseller to becoming a Shell lubricants distributor, Riva Petroleum evolution reflects what can be achieved through vision, passion and purpose.

The partnership of the two organizations has been marked by significant milestones that reflect shared commitment to growth and innovation.

• 2012: Riva Petroleum became a Shell Lubricants Distributor and adopted the FMCG model of operations.
• 2016: Riva Petroleum expanded its lubricants distribution network, strengthening its presence across the Kenyan market.
• 2025: Riva Petroleum became the first Vivo Energy Kenya distributor to implement VERA, a Vivo Energy digital end-to-end Order-to-Cash platform, demonstrating its commitment to innovation and operational excellence.

Speaking during the 30^th anniversary celebrations, Vivo Energy Kenya Managing Director Mr. Peter Murungi said, “The lubricants business is highly competitive and presents its share of challenges. Yet throughout the years, our two organizations have worked side by side, navigating changing market dynamics and industry headwinds with determination and confidence. Together, we have not only weathered those challenges but emerged stronger because of them.”

Mr. Murungi added, “This is the longest-standing distributor partnership Shell has had in Kenya. It has been a great journey with a man of real passion, who has also helped other distributors to grow.”

He added, “One of the greatest assets any business can possess is trust. In 2012, Riva was awarded the ELNET Mark of Ethics by the Ethical Leadership Network, recognizing organizations that demonstrate exceptional ethical leadership and governance. This recognition speaks volumes about the values that have guided the business and the culture that extends from its leadership to every part of the organization.”

While celebrating the corporate partnership, Riva Petroleum Dealers, Founder and Managing Director, Eng. Peter Njeru Njagi said: “The story of Riva Petroleum is one of resilience, a strong partnership, and doing business with integrity and reliability qualities that have sustained us for three decades. Thirty years can feel like just another year, but this milestone reflects the contribution of many: support from financial institutions such as KCB Bank, our business partners and our suppliers. The growth of Riva has taught us that nothing is impossible.”

H.E. Lee Kinyanjui, Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry, said the Government is committed to supporting businesses to scale from SMEs into large, competitive enterprises. He noted, “Our role is to create an enabling environment where family-owned businesses can grow into major corporates, access the capital markets and compete regionally and globally. The success of companies like RIVA demonstrates the potential of homegrown enterprises to drive industrialisation, create jobs and contribute to Kenya’s economic growth.”

Paul Russo, EBS, Group Chief Executive Officer, KCB Group PLC, said future business success will be driven by people, technology and strong partnerships, describing the longstanding partnership between RIVA and Vivo Energy Kenya as a testament to the value of collaboration. He noted, “No organization succeeds in isolation. Sustainable growth is built through collaboration, innovation and a shared commitment to creating value for customers and communities.”

Riva Petroleum, an abbreviation of Rift Valley Petroleum, was founded in Nakuru in 1996 by Eng. Peter Njeru Njagi, a University of Nairobi-trained civil engineer who had spent eleven years in the Ministry of Works’ Roads Department before resigning to enter the fuel business.

The company today employs approximately 200 people across fuel and lubricants operations and distributes to more than 4,000 retail and trade outlets nationwide, with warehouses in Nakuru, Nairobi and Embu. In 28 of Kenya’s 47 counties, it is the sole Shell-branded lubricants distributor of record, with a last-mile delivery footprint that extends to Moyale on the Ethiopian border.

Both Vivo Energy Kenya and Riva Petroleum have identified digital transformation, new last-mile delivery models and growing demand for cleaner energy products as the main areas of opportunity ahead.

For Riva Petroleum, the next chapter also involves a generational transition: Njeru says younger family members have begun seeking roles in the business. Murungi frames the point more broadly: the structures that will matter, he says, are the ones that outlive any individual.

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