At least 16 questions await the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Opiyo Wandayi, in Parliament on Tuesday regarding the importation of a consignment of 60,000 tonnes of petrol brought into the country outside the Government-to-Government (G-to-G) framework.
After failing to appear before Members of Parliament on Thursday, Wandayi has been summoned by the Parliamentary Energy Committee to explain the fuel scandal and the shortage affecting various parts of the country.
The scandal has already led to the resignation of top officials in the energy sector, including former Energy Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, former Director General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Daniel Kiptoo, and former Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director Joe Sang.
A letter from the committee, chaired by Nakuru East MP David Gikaria, states that Wandayi must provide a detailed explanation on the special approvals issued to allow the importation of the fuel and identify who authorized its entry outside the G-to-G system.
The committee also wants verification of authorization documents, communication between the ministry and EPRA, and clarification on whether approvals were written or verbal.
The Cabinet Secretary, alongside the new EPRA Director General Joseph Oketch, officials from Kenya Pipeline Company and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), are required to explain where exactly the fuel quality inspection process failed.
Lawmakers want to know whether pre-shipment inspection was conducted, who carried it out, what the findings were, and who signed the final quality certification.
They are also seeking to know whether any action has been taken against those responsible.
The committee has further questioned whether the fuel entered the distribution system through the port and pipelines without independent verification, and at what point procedures were breached.
MPs also want to know which quality standards were violated and why the shortcomings were not detected in time.
Additionally, the Ministry of Energy and EPRA are required to explain whether fuel tracking systems were bypassed or tampered with, and which officials have been found culpable so far.
The committee is also seeking details on disciplinary or legal action taken, and when the findings of investigations will be made public.
Lawmakers insist it must also be established whether substandard fuel reached the market and how much has already been consumed by the public.
“We must know what went wrong in this system,” the letter states.
Bomachoge Borabu MP Obadiah Barongo said the Cabinet Secretary’s failure to appear is a sign of lack of accountability at a time when the country is facing a major fuel crisis.
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