CS Wandayi Responds to Resignation Calls Over KSh 4.8 Billion Fuel Scandal

Energy Cabinet Secretary (CS) Opiyo Wandayi has firmly rejected calls for his resignation amid allegations of a Ksh 4.8 billion fuel scandal that has sparked public outcry and parliamentary scrutiny.

Speaking during a high-stakes grilling session before a parliamentary committee, Wandayi maintained that he bears no direct responsibility for the controversial consignment.

“When all is said and done, when all is said and done, in the final analysis, clearly, there is no reason stopping me from discharging my duties as Cabinet Secretary,” Wandayi stated, signaling his determination to remain in office despite pressure from political leaders and sections of the public.

During the session, the CS outlined what he described as a detailed sequence of events that led to the importation of the disputed fuel shipment outside the established government-to-government (G-to-G) framework.

He emphasized that the process was handled at technical levels within the ministry and involved senior officials, including the Principal Secretary, before any escalation.

“In short, this deviation would have required higher approval. The approval was not sought, and if it had been sought, I would have acted on it and escalated the matter to the President,” Wandayi told the committee.

Departure from the G-to-G System Posing Queries

According to Wandayi, the arrival of the fuel consignment is an indication of deviation from the G-to-G system, which has been used by Kenya to source its petroleum products since the inception of the same in 2023.

He insisted that, based on available records, no similar deviation had occurred prior to the current incident.

“To our knowledge and from the records, since the first cargo and the G2G arrived in Kenya in April of thereabout, of 2023, there has been no fuel imported outside the G2G framework until this contentious consignment came, from the records and to our knowledge,” he said.

He further stressed the uniqueness of the shipment, adding: “Honourable Chair, from the records, this is the first consignment that came and discharged outside the G2G.”

Also Read:How Fuel Reaches Kenya: Pricing, Supply Chain, and What Drives Costs

National Fuel Security and Strategic Deficiencies

Speaking of the national fuel security challenge and the strategic gaps, Wandayi admitted that the lack of strategic petroleum reserve is one of them, which makes the nation reliant on the timely delivery of the imported fuel.

Nevertheless, he stated that the government has already involved the participation of the private sector in the project of constructing fuel storage facilities in Mombasa.

“The second issue here is that we haven’t managed to develop fuel reserves. The work we have done is that we are working with different private players who would like to partner with the government and establish contingency fuel storage facilities in Mombasa,” Wandayi said.

However, despite the problem, he justified the efficiency of the G2G policy in securing national fuel security.

“Right now, the country, of course, depends on fuel when it comes as per the scheduled times. And the G2G system has worked out for us very effectively and, as I mentioned, has been operating very smoothly since its implementation,” he stated.

Also Read:Nigeria President Mocks Kenya and Other African Countries Over Fuel Shortage

External Influences and Systemic Failure

In his presentation, the CS highlighted the current geopolitical unrest, including the Israel-U.S.-Iran crisis, adding that Kenya had been spared from the fuel shortage issues witnessed elsewhere.

This, he said, was due to bottlenecks in the supply chain.

“It has helped us address the issue of shortage of fuel. As a matter of fact, Kenya is one of the very, few countries in this region and beyond that have not experienced biting fuel shortages,” Wandayi stated.

“Even in the aftermath, or in the wake of the Israeli-U.S-Iran war, the few cases of shortages have been reported. We have confirmed. We have basically been occasioned by players in the supply chain,” he added.

Stressing his position, Wandayi emphasized that any deviation from the legally anchored G-to-G framework would require Cabinet-level approval, which, according to him, was not obtained in this case.

“Otherwise, the system of G2G has been robust enough to guarantee Kenya a steady supply of quality petroleum products. And from the outset, again let me be very clear, that since G2G framework was a framework established upon a cabinet resolution, and governed by law, any deviation from it would naturally require a concurrence or approval by the cabinet, in my view,” he said.

“I have already stated that the method, the procurement of this particular vessel of consignment was recommended by the technical committee,” Wandayi concluded.

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