President William Ruto has weighed in on the oil importation scandal in which senior officials from the State Department of Petroleum were implicated.
On Saturday, April 4, Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Managing Director Daniel Kiptoo, and Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Managing Director Joe Sang all stepped down as they undergo a probe by Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives.
The trio, who were central to Kenya’s petroleum supply chain, were accused of manipulating national fuel reserve data.
A disputed shipment that breached the Government-to-Government (G2G) framework was blamed on them.
According to the State House, the import was purchased at inflated prices and bypassed emergency procurement rules.
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To compound matters, the consignment was of substandard quality, highlighting a serious disregard for contractual obligations and regulatory standards.
Reacting to the saga, President William Ruto said his regime would not condone corruption and other fraudulent schemes that rob Kenyans of their money.
Referencing previous scandals in which his regime took decisive action to protect the public, Ruto said corruption would not be toyed with under his watch.
"I said that we won't compromise on corruption in this country. We will do what is necessary to stop corruption. Many thought it was a joke. We had cartels and brokers who defrauded us with fake fertiliser; they faced the music. We had cartels in the sugar industry, and we acted on them, today the industry is thriving. We also had cartels in the coffee sector, and we took decisive actions, and today, farmers are getting their value for money," he said.
The president said the same fate awaits the suspects in the fuel saga.
According to him, it is irrational for the key players in the petroleum supply chain to interfere with the product at a time when the world is staring at acute shortage of fuel products supplies stemming from the Middle East crisis.
"These cartels in the oil sector will face it rough. They won't escape, because it is not possible that people see there are problems in the Middle East, and then compound the situation here in the country. I must say for the record, this is the administration that is going to deal firmly, decisively and conclusively with all the cartels. We finished the cartels of fertiliser, the ones in the coffee sector, and we will deal with the ones in the oil sector, and that is clear as it should be," he said.
Meanwhile, the DCI confirmed that it has already taken significant steps, including recording statements from individuals connected to the case, and was collaborating with international partners to collect evidence and determine the full scale of the alleged malpractice.
The DCI reaffirmed its commitment to completing the investigation quickly while respecting due process, noting that once the probe is finalised, the case file will be handed over to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for further action.
It also addressed resignations of the senior officials, stressing that stepping down from office would not absolve anyone of criminal responsibility.
Reassuring the public, the agency emphasised that the investigation is being conducted with professionalism, transparency, and urgency.
