Kenya’s President William Ruto has pledged a strong crackdown on oil sector cartels as investigations into a suspected artificial fuel shortage intensify, shaking the country’s energy industry and leading to arrests and resignations of senior officials.
Addressing the nation, Ruto warned that anyone found manipulating fuel supplies for personal gain would face consequences, emphasizing that no rank or position would offer protection. “These cartels will not operate freely. Accountability will reach all involved,” he stated.
The crackdown comes as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) probes allegations that top officials in Kenya’s energy sector falsified fuel stock data to create the appearance of a shortage.
Investigators say the manipulated information justified emergency fuel procurement outside normal government channels, including a shipment that may have been overpriced and substandard.
High-profile resignations have already followed the probe. Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director Joe Sang, and Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority Director-General Daniel Kiptoo stepped down amid allegations of manipulating national fuel stock figures. Deputy Director of Petroleum Joseph Wafula was also questioned by investigators.
Preliminary findings indicate that a 60,000-metric-tonne fuel shipment, originally meant for Angola, was diverted to the Port of Mombasa under unclear circumstances.
The consignment, carried on the vessel MV Paloma, is suspected to have entered Kenya outside the government-to-government (G2G) import framework. Investigators are also examining the shipment’s origins, which trace back to Saudi Aramco before allegedly being sold through another international firm and redirected by a local importer.
Chief of Staff Felix Koskei noted that officials are suspected of deliberately falsifying stock levels to trigger panic and influence urgent procurement decisions. “The emergency shipment violated established procurement procedures and bypassed accountability safeguards,” he said.
The DCI continues to scrutinize procurement processes, fuel import documentation, and internal reporting systems across key energy agencies. Authorities aim to dismantle entrenched cartel networks and ensure transparency in Kenya’s petroleum supply chain.
