Riva Petroleum Dealers Limited has marked 30 years of partnership with Vivo Energy Kenya, celebrating a business relationship that has seen the Nakuru-founded company grow into one of the country’s leading Shell lubricants distributors.
The company, which started as a Shell lubricants reseller in 1996, now employs about 200 people and supplies more than 4,000 retail and trade outlets across the country. It is also the sole Shell-branded lubricants distributor in 28 of Kenya’s 47 counties.
The anniversary also highlights key milestones in the partnership. In 2012, Riva Petroleum became an official Shell lubricants distributor and adopted a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) distribution model. The company expanded its distribution network in 2016 before becoming the first Vivo Energy Kenya distributor to implement the VERA digital Order-to-Cash platform in 2025.
Speaking during the celebrations, Vivo Energy Kenya Managing Director Peter Murungi described the partnership as the longest-standing distributor relationship Shell has had in Kenya.
“The lubricants business is highly competitive and presents its share of challenges. Yet throughout the years, our two organisations have worked side by side, navigating changing market dynamics and industry headwinds with determination and confidence,” Murungi said.
He said the partnership had continued to thrive because of the trust built over the years, noting that Riva Petroleum received the ELNET Mark of Ethics from the Ethical Leadership Network in 2012 in recognition of its commitment to ethical leadership and good corporate governance.
Riva Petroleum Founder and Managing Director Eng. Peter Njeru Njagi said the company’s journey has been shaped by resilience, integrity and strong partnerships.
“Riva Petroleum story is a tale of resilience, strong partnership, and doing business with integrity and reliability characteristics that have helped us survive through 30 years,” said Njagi.
He attributed the success of the company to the support that the company received from financial institutions, business partners, and suppliers, noting that the achievement is a testament to the contribution of all the people who have walked with the company.
The Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry, Lee Kinyanjui said that the Government will continue to work hard to ensure that there is an enabling environment to help companies grow from SMEs to compete well in the market.
He said that growth of companies such as Riva Petroleum is a testimony of the potential of locally-owned companies to play a major role in industrialization, job creation and Kenya’s economic development.
Paul Russo, the CEO of KCB Group said that sustainable business growth requires partnership, innovation and investment in human resources as the long partnership between Riva Petroleum and Vivo Energy Kenya is an example.
Moving forward, opportunities that the two firms have identified for growth include digitization, last mile delivery optimization, and increased demand for clean energy solutions.
In relation to Riva Petroleum, the next step will involve a change of leadership, with younger generations of the founder’s family joining the firm.
