Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has rejected demands for his resignation regarding the Sh4.8 billion substandard fuel importation scandal. He insists that no legal or procedural grounds exist for him to vacate his office while investigations remain active.
During a Monday session with the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Energy, Wandayi stood by his performance and argued that he still holds the authority to carry out his ministerial duties.
“When all is said and done, in the final analysis, clearly there is no reason to stop me from continuing to discharge my duties as CS for energy and petroleum. There is nothing that stops me from performing my duties as CS when all is said and done,” he said.
Wandayi informed lawmakers that the shipment in question arrived in Kenya outside the government-to-government (G-to-G) framework. He clarified that administrative channels managed the importation, bypassing the need for his personal sign-off. According to the CS, a technical committee recommended the procurement, and senior officials, including Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, authorized the process.
“Procurement of the consignment was recommended by a technical committee. The PS (Mohamed Liban) approved it in his wisdom. On the 30th of March, it emerged that this consignment came from G2G, and I swiftly briefed the president. His Excellency advised me to stop the second vessel, which was coming in,” he told the committee.
Wandayi further noted that any departure from the established G-to-G framework would have necessitated authorization from the highest levels of government. He stated that his office never received a request for such an approval; had he been consulted, he would have brought the matter directly to the president.
“Such a deviation should require a higher approval. The approval of CS was not sought. If it did, I would have escalated to the president,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary also revealed that the shipment bypassed standard safety protocols, leading to the entry of fuel that failed to meet specific quality requirements. According to Wandayi, the State Department for Petroleum even sought a waiver from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) after realizing the consignment fell short of national specifications.
“Concerning this particular consignment in question, from the documents provided, certain parameters were off the specifications, and from records, a waiver was sought from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) by the State Department for Petroleum,” he said.
Despite the controversy, the CS reassured the public that Kenya possesses sufficient fuel reserves. He shifted the blame for any local supply interruptions to the behavior of private oil marketers rather than a genuine national deficit.
“There is no shortage of fuel in the country. If there is any shortage, it has been caused by oil market players,” he said.
The Acting Director General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) informed lawmakers that the agency has initiated enforcement actions to curb malpractice within the sector. Dr. Eng. Joseph Oketch revealed that intelligence reports pointed toward specific players hoarding fuel to profit from anticipated price hikes. In response, the authority has already issued 25 show-cause letters to the suspected parties.
“We have done much to ensure fuel is enough. We got intelligence that some players are hoarding fuel in anticipation of a price increase. 25 show cause letters written,” he said.
CS Wandayi corroborated these claims, confirming that EPRA targeted 12 oil marketers for allegedly creating artificial shortages. However, the CS chose to distance himself from the recent exit of three senior energy officials, claiming he remains unaware of the specific motives behind their departures. He maintained that ongoing investigations continue and denied any evidence of forced resignations.
“As to why three or so officers have resigned, I cannot say because I do not know why they resigned. What I know is that investigations are ongoing,” he said, adding that there was no evidence of coercion.
