NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 5 – The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has appointed Joseph Oketch as its Acting Director General following the arrest and resignation of Daniel Kiptoo, who has been linked to investigations over allegations of an artificial fuel shortage.
Kiptoo stepped down amid ongoing probes into claims of manipulation of national fuel stock data, which allegedly created a fabricated supply crisis and triggered irregular emergency fuel procurement within the energy sector.
Oketch will serve in an acting capacity as investigations continue, with authorities expanding scrutiny into fuel importation processes, regulatory oversight, and procurement procedures across key petroleum agencies.
“As a board, we accept his resignation which was received yesterday and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours,” EPRA Board Chairperson Adan Haji said.
The leadership change comes at a time of intensified investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) into the broader energy sector, following a series of high-profile resignations and ongoing accountability probes.
Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban and Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Managing Director Joe Sang also resigned after they were arrested in the ongoing probe, where they are accused of manipulating national fuel stock data to create an artificial sense of shortage.
Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said preliminary findings indicate that the officials are suspected of falsifying in-country fuel stock levels, allegedly creating panic and an impression of an impending fuel supply crisis.
According to Koskei, the manipulated data was then used to justify emergency fuel procurement outside the established Government-to-Government (G2G) framework, resulting in a shipment allegedly overpriced and of substandard quality.
“The emergency shipment was procured in blatant breach of the G2G framework, in complete disregard of established emergency procurement procedures,” Koskei said.
He added that the alleged scheme took advantage of rising global oil prices and heightened public concern, influencing urgent procurement decisions that bypassed normal accountability safeguards.
Investigations into the matter are ongoing, with authorities expected to review procurement processes, fuel import documentation, and internal data reporting systems across key energy agencies
