2027 presidential aspirant Martha Karua on Thursday, April 9 issued a stern call for Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi to resign, after he failed to appear before Members of Parliament to answer queries touching on the fuel crisis.
CS Wandayi was supposed to appear before MPs today, but he did not show up under unclear circumstances. Speaking shortly after this development, Karua called upon CS Wandayi to “throw in the towel” immediately.
The People’s Liberation Party (PLP) Leader also demanded independent investigations into the fuel scandal that has seen five senior energy officials arrested, with prosecution proceedings kickstarted.
While acknowledging that the global energy supply has been strained by the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, Karua emphasised that the suffering of Kenyans has been needlessly amplified by a local culture of corruption.
“What we are witnessing is chaos. Despite empty government assurances, fuel shortages and long lines are surfacing from Nyeri and Eldoret to Nyamira and Kericho. Transporters have already warned of imminent price hikes, a burden that will inevitably trickle down to the already overtaxed Mwananchi,” Karua stated.
Leadership failure
Addressing the CS directly following his snub of the House probe, Karua, drawing on her experience as the former Justice Minister under the Kibaki administration, reminded the current leadership that the Cabinet Secretary remains the ultimate custodian of his docket.
“Overall, in the country, the buck stops with President William Ruto. In the energy sector, there is a minister, and that is Opiyo Wandayi. There is no way something of this magnitude, the disappearance of reserves and the recovery of suitcases of cash, happens under his watch without his knowledge. And if he truly doesn’t know, then he has no business in that office.
“Come on, take political responsibility, CS Wandayi! As your juniors get arrested, throw in the towel and go home because you have failed. That is what taking responsibility looks like. You don’t just say, ‘I didn’t know.’ That alone spells failure. You have failed to take charge of the docket you were given,” Karua added.
A KSh500M scandal as Kenyans suffer
Condemning the government’s failure to secure the nation’s strategic reserves, Karua questioned how President William Ruto’s administration allegedly traded away fuel buffers in the middle of an expected global crisis, leaving the country’s energy security compromised.
“Reports indicate our national oil reserves were allegedly traded at a high markup of approximately USD 4 per liter. It is inconceivable that our strategic reserves could be sold off to a foreign entity without the knowledge and clearance of the highest office in the land. Kenyans are feeling the pinch, and they deserve answers.”
The PLP leader and a key voice in the United Alternative Government opposition outfit noted with concern that in some towns, the cost of fuel has already passed the KSh200 per litre mark.
“When fuel prices soar, the ordinary Kenyan is hit from all sides. From matatu fares to the cost of food and electricity, the Mwenye Nchi is being squeezed dry. We are seeing the consequences in real-time; Kenyans are already suffocating while allegations of millions being ‘eaten’ in this crisis continue to fly. Where is the reported KSh500 million that was found? Where is the exhibit?”
Karua called for true accountability, asserting that empty promises of investigations will no longer suffice. She noted that the “weak link” in the nation’s war on graft remains a total lack of political will at the very top.
“If you look at the William Ruto administration, despite the scandals dominating the news every single day, not a single senior government official has been sanctioned or properly brought to account. When there are no consequences for those at the top, corruption becomes the official policy of the state. You cannot stamp out graft where there is no rule of law.”
Drawing parallels to other recent failures, Karua cited the scandalous issuance of a Kenyan passport to a sanctioned RSF warlord as proof of a government that only offers the “performance” of accountability, where the “small person” is made to account for crises that clearly link back to top officials.
“In the passport scandal, PS Belio Kipsang issued a toothless denial, yet the government failed to investigate how the citizenship justifying that passport was obtained. Where was the answer from CS Kipchumba Murkomen? This is the Kenya Kwanza blueprint: hide behind technicalities, offer empty denials, protect the big players, and sacrifice the juniors. We demand real accountability, starting with the Cabinet Secretary, not low-level officers following orders from above.”
Karua, who has declared her intent to unseat the current administration in the upcoming elections, urged Kenyans to exercise their sovereign power by rejecting leaders who prioritize personal enrichment over public service, noting that the ultimate cost of this greed is borne by the citizen.
