Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has ruled out resigning over the unfolding fuel importation scandal, after a widening probe forced out some of the country’s most senior petroleum sector officials and exposed potential vulnerabilities in Kenya’s fuel supply architecture.
- •Appearing before lawmakers, Wandayi dismissed any link between his office and the controversy, maintaining there was no basis for him to step aside.
- •Pressure has been building within parliamentary committees seeking clarity on the circumstances surrounding the departures, with legislators indicating they may formally request disclosures from the appointing authorities.
- •The scandal a time when global oil markets are tightening amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, while Kenya heads into a fresh fuel price review cycle on April 14th.
“I do not know why they resigned,” CS Wandayi said, referring to a wave of exits tied to the scandal. “Resignation is a voluntary thing. When you resign, you have your reasons, and you are free to state them or not.”
At the centre of the storm is an alleged scheme to fabricate a national fuel shortage, triggering emergency procurement outside Kenya’s sovereign-backed supply framework and resulting in the importation of a reportedly overpriced and substandard cargo.
Three senior officials stepped down in early April: Principal Secretary for Petroleum Mohamed Liban, Kenya Pipeline Company PLC Managing Director Joe Sang, and Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority Director General Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria. Several other officials are facing both criminal and administrative proceedings.
“When all is said and done, in the final analysis, clearly there is no reason to stop me from continuing to discharge my duties as Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum,” Wandayi said.
Following Sang’s arrest, the Kenya Pipeline Company board appointed Pius Mwendwa as acting managing director in a rapid leadership transition aimed at stabilising operations.
Preliminary findings point to a cargo aboard the vessel MV Paloma, which docked at the Port of Mombasa between March 27 and 29, 2026. The shipment is believed to have originated from Saudi Aramco before being routed through an international intermediary and ultimately imported into Kenya.
Investigators suspect that key actors within the petroleum supply chain may have manipulated domestic stock data, amplifying fears of an imminent shortage, to justify emergency procurement outside the government-to-government (G2G) framework. The resulting cargo is also alleged to have failed quality standards.
The scandal has cast a harsh spotlight on the G2G import arrangement introduced in 2023 to stabilise supply after the 2022 fuel crisis. Backed by sovereign guarantees and extended credit terms, the framework was designed to cushion Kenya against global price volatility and foreign exchange pressures.
