Govt Agency Admits Ksh 17B Substandard Diesel Was Released to Market
In a court affidavit, the Kenya Pipeline Company acknowledged that inferior diesel valued at Ksh17 billion was distributed to the market in November 2023.
This information was conveyed following a statement from businesswoman Anne Njoroge, who informed the court that she fell victim to a fuel scam orchestrated by cartels within the Kenyan government.
According to the reports, the MV Hagui, transporting the shipment, arrived at the Port of Mombasa on November 4th.
In its sworn statement, KPC points out that MVHagui was transporting Diesel EN590, which is deemed unacceptable in the Kenyan market.
Although the fuel was of lower quality, KPC disclosed that it was promptly delivered to an Oil Marketing Company under a contractual agreement for fuel importation through the government-to-government deal between Kenya and Gulf nations.
In their explanation, KPC asserted that the company lacked strategic reserves within the nation to store the diesel. Furthermore, they maintained that it was legally permissible to transfer the fuel to OMCs.
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After being transferred to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), the fuel was expected to be promptly released into the market by the terms of the contract.
Adding another layer of complexity to the situation, KPC stated that the fuel carried on MV Hagui was not owned by Anne Njoroge.
They contend that Import and Export Enterprises Limited, the businesswoman’s company asserting ownership of the shipment, lacks the proper license to import fuel on behalf of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
The company also stated that it neither compensated anyone for the fuel sales nor paid the alleged OMC responsible for distributing the fuel to the market.
The absence of a financial trace has created challenges in determining the recipients of the Ksh17 billion following the sale of fuel that is suspected to be of substandard quality.
Anne Njoroge insists that she purchased the fuel from Russia and it was conveyed through Azerbaijan before reaching Kenya on November 4th.
Govt Agency Admits Ksh 17B Substandard Diesel Was Released to Market