President William Ruto has spoken out on the deepening oil importation scandal that has drawn in senior officials from Kenya’s State Department of Petroleum.
The controversy escalated on Saturday, April 4, when Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo, and Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Managing Director Joe Sang stepped aside pending investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The three, all central figures in the country’s petroleum supply chain, are under scrutiny over allegations of tampering with national fuel reserve data.
Ruto Breaks Silence on Oil Importation Scandal Rocking Petroleum Department. Photo: Courtesy.
At the heart of the probe is a disputed fuel consignment said to have fallen outside the Government-to-Government (G2G) importation framework.
State House indicated that the shipment was acquired at inflated costs and circumvented established emergency procurement procedures.
Further concerns have been raised over the quality of the fuel, with reports indicating that the consignment failed to meet required standards—raising questions about compliance and oversight within the sector.
Addressing the issue, President Ruto struck a firm tone, warning that his administration would not tolerate corruption or malpractice that undermines public resources.
He pointed to previous instances where his government has acted against misconduct, emphasizing that those implicated in the current scandal would face similar consequences.
Ruto also questioned the timing of the alleged irregularities, noting that interference in the fuel supply chain comes at a particularly sensitive moment, as global markets grapple with supply pressures linked to tensions in the Middle East.
