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Energy CS Wandayi disowns fuel import deal
Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Opiyo Wandayi, appears before the Senate Standing Committee on Energy at Bunge Tower, Nairobi on March 31, 2026.
Energy Cabinet Secretary (CS) Opiyo Wandayi on Monday disowned a controversial deal to import fuel worth Sh12 billion, telling lawmakers he neither knew about it nor approved it.
Mr Wandayi told the National Assembly Energy Committee that the importation was carried out without his knowledge and outside the legally recognised government-to-government (G-to-G) contract.
“The approval of the CS in the importation of this fuel was not sought,” said Mr Wandayi. “There is no reason to stop me from continuing to discharge my responsibilities as a Cabinet Secretary.”
The CS added that had the matter reached him, he would have escalated it to the Cabinet and the President for direction. But it was his admission that he could not explain the sudden resignation of three senior officials at the centre of the scandal that further deepened concerns, reinforcing the impression of a ministry operating beyond his control.
Former Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Managing Director Joe Sang and Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) Director-General Daniel Kiptoo resigned after the scandal erupted during the Easter holidays.
“I cannot tell why they resigned. When you resign, you can have your reasons and there is no evidence of coercion,” Mr Wandayi told the committee.
Pressed by MPs to account for what he knew, the CS insisted he only learnt of the importation after the fact, at which point he moved to contain the fallout. He said he instructed his then Petroleum Principal Secretary Liban to take corrective action, including directing Oryx Energies , the firm that imported the fuel, to re-export it and withdraw all invoices issued to local oil retailers.
Mr Wandayi told the legilstors that the G-to-G framework is anchored in Cabinet resolutions and law and that any deviation from it would require Cabinet approval.
However, Mr Wandayi hinted at possible irregularities, suggesting that fuel stock data may have been manipulated to justify the importation.
Although the three energy bosses s were reportedly held in police custody over the Easter weekend, they have yet to be arraigned in court, with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) still probing the matter.
On whether Kenyans should expect a fuel price hike in the latest monthly review, mr Wandayi remained noncommittal saying he was unaware of what Epra would announce.
“I don’t know what Epra will declare. But we are not sitting pretty. We are taking proactive measures, among them taxation, to ensure that Kenyans are not disadvantaged by what is happening in the Middle East,” he said.
The crisis has been compounded by escalating tensions in the Gulf, particularly disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz ,a key global oil transit route following military confrontation involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
The strait, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, handles between 20 and 25 per cent of global seaborne oil and a significant share of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Shipping traffic through the route has reduced sharply following its blockade by Iran in response to military action linked to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, on February 28, 2026.
The disruption has driven up global oil prices, raising fears of a knock-on effect on domestic fuel costs.
While Wandayi acknowledged the pressure on global oil markets, he maintained that measures are being taken to cushion Kenyans from the impact.
Although his remarks hinted at a possible increase in fuel prices, he suggested any adjustment would be moderated.
“Epra will make the announcement as they demonstrate the measures taken to cushion Kenyans,” he said.
