Former Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairperson Ndindi Nyoro has linked the ongoing fuel crisis to deeper structural concerns within Kenya’s energy sector, following the recent arrests of senior officials in petroleum agencies.
Nyoro claimed that control of fuel supply may be concentrated in the hands of a few powerful players, raising concerns over transparency and accountability.
“Half to seventy-five percent of the volumes is the same company that is dealing with exploiting our Turkana oil resources,” he said.
He further alleged that the individuals behind these entities are not unknown to the public, calling for scrutiny of ownership structures in the sector.
“The owners are the same people who you see on TVs every day… we need to remove the veil from the people who purport to be the owners,” Nyoro stated.
His remarks come amid ongoing investigations into officials from key institutions, including the Kenya Pipeline Company and the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, over alleged irregularities in fuel supply management and procurement processes. Authorities are probing possible links between insider dealings and the current supply disruptions.
Kenya has in recent months experienced intermittent fuel shortages, attributed to a combination of global oil market pressures, foreign exchange constraints, and challenges in the government-to-government import arrangement.
Nyoro warned that delays in addressing the crisis could worsen the situation, criticizing what he termed as a lack of urgency within government ranks.
“We must not wait, because waiting is showing how unprepared we are,” he said.
To mitigate the crisis, Nyoro proposed urgent interventions including increased fuel subsidies, removal of VAT on fuel, and the waiver of the Sh7 fuel levy introduced in 2024. However, he argued that current allocations are insufficient to stabilize prices.
“Seventeen billion for stabilization is not enough, my friend,” he added.
His statement adds to mounting pressure on the government to not only stabilize fuel supply and prices but also address governance concerns within the energy sector as investigations into the arrested officials continue.
