NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 7 — The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) on Tuesday expressed “profound outrage” over the unfolding fuel procurement scandal, calling for a full and impartial fight against graft while commending the government for the swift probe.
ODM Party Leader Senator Oburu Oginga applauded investigative authorities and President William Ruto for ensuring that inquiries proceed professionally, expeditiously, and transparently, free from interference or favoritism.
“The era of complacency in the face of corruption must come to an end,” Oburu said.
“Every public officer found culpable—regardless of rank, office, or political persuasion—must be held fully accountable.”
The statement comes as senior energy officials, including former Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, ex-Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director Joe Sang, former Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority Director General Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria, Deputy Director of Petroleum Joseph Wafula, and KPC Supply and Logistics Manager Joel Mburu, face criminal charges linked to alleged manipulation of petroleum stock data and irregular procurement of fuel.
The five were released on Sh100,000 police cash bail each pending court appearance, as investigations probe allegations of falsified fuel stock data that created a false impression of a shortage, triggering emergency procurement of a consignment outside the Government-to-Government (G2G) framework.
Reports indicate that the emergency fuel, supplied at inflated prices, was also substandard, raising public safety concerns.
Pricing discrepancies
Preliminary findings show pricing discrepancies between shipments delivered in March.
Fuel supplied by One Petroleum aboard MT Paloma landed in Mombasa at Sh198,855 per metric ton, compared with Sh140,111 per metric ton under the G2G consignment by Gulf Energy via MT FOS Mercury—a difference of Sh58,744 per metric ton, or roughly Sh43.4 per litre.
President Ruto has vowed an unrelenting crackdown on what he termed “energy sector cartels,” declaring that those responsible for corruption will face accountability.
“These cartels in the energy sector will not be allowed to operate freely. They will not escape accountability,” he said.
ODM emphasized that the fight against corruption must be comprehensive, impartial, and free from political point-scoring, cautioning against public vilification of officials not directly responsible, in reference to Cabinet Secretaries Lee Kinyanjui (Trade) and Opiyo Wandayi (Energy).
“Attempts at public lynching will only derail investigations and politicize the scam,” the party said.
The party reiterated that the fight against corruption is a central pillar of the ODM–UDA 10-point agenda and affirmed its support for full recovery of any resources lost through the scandal, urging all Kenyans to demand justice, transparency, and accountability.
