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Alnoor Jiwan: The Man Who Built The Giant Petro Oil Kenya From A Single Filling Station

Petro Group of Companies ‘PETRO’ is one of the largest oil marketing companies operating in the East African region. The company has been in existence for more than 30 years and operates over 100 filling stations in East Africa under the brand name Petro Filling Stations.

In this article, WoK takes a look at the founder, the services offered, branches and the leadership structure of Petro Group of Companies.

Petro Group of Companies History

Petro Group of Companies was established in 1989 by businessman Alnoor Jiwan with the aim of providing quality oil products at affordable rates. The company started off with one fuel station and steadily grew to the giant retailer it is today. Petro Oil Kenya Limited is part of Petro Group of Companies. 

Despite the oil marketing industry being highly competitive, the company has continued to thrive thanks to efficient distribution networks, bulk trading coupled with cutting edge technology to manage the investments has helped the company remain relevant in the East African region that is hugely dominated by other brands such as Rubis and Total Energies.

Also Read: Rubis Energy: List of Shareholders And Percentage of Their Ownership

Products and Services

The company was majorly founded on retailing fuel and has since chosen to let that be the core activity across the East African region. PETRO operates over 100 fuel retail stations in Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Uganda.  The oil company also supplies petroleum products in wholesale to large scale consumers in diverse industries such as other retailers or resellers. Besides marketing petroleum products such as diesel and super, PETRO has set up service bays in all the filling stations to ensure the motorists are kept on the move.

They provide one stop shop vehicle services such as tire centers, car wash and mechanical services. One of the most interesting products launched by the company is the PETRO Gold card which is an easy way for motorists to keep check on fuel purchase and control their levels of purchase. The fuel card monetizes all petrol station transactions with an itemized record and statements and controls the fuel expenditure by setting limits when it comes to fuelling.

Also Read: Stabex International: One Of The Largest Oil Company In Uganda That Has Been Linked To DP Ruto

Petro Group of Companies Branches

The company has heavily invested and established itself in the East African region. In Kenya, the company operates under a subsidiary named Petro Oil Kenya which has its headquarters at Petro House along Mijikenda Street, Mombasa County. The company operates 32 filling stations spread across different parts of the country. In Tanzania, the company exists under a subsidiary named National Oil (Tanzania) Limited while in Zanzibar it is registered under Zanzibar Petroleum Limited. In Uganda, the company operates under a subsidiary named Petro Uganda limited operating 40 fuel stations across the country.

Leadership and other activities

The company is under the able leadership of Mr. Benjamin King’ori who serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Rashid Mikidadi Ali who is the Managing Director (MD) in charge of Zanzibar Petroleum Limited. Apart from the oil marketing sector, the company is involved in other community centered activities since they believe that improving their impact on society strengthens the company and fulfills the business purpose.

PETRO is a major contributor to the Aga Khan Foundation which manages several educational institutions for early childhood education schools while providing educators in some of the most remote and marginalized parts of the country. Besides that, Petro Group is one of the key funders of Wema Centre – a charitable organization which operates in Mombasa and Thika. The organization is involved in rescuing, rehabilitating and training street children and needy children in the community.