NAIROBI, Kenya — Members of Parliament have tabled at least 16 questions for Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi as scrutiny intensifies over the importation of a disputed 60,000-metric-tonne super petrol consignment that allegedly entered the country outside the approved government-to-government (G-to-G) framework.
The National Assembly of Kenya Departmental Committee on Energy is demanding clarity on who authorised the shipment and why it bypassed established procurement channels, raising concerns over regulatory compliance and oversight within the petroleum sector.
Wandayi is now expected to appear before the committee on Tuesday, April 14, after failing to attend a scheduled session last week, prompting sharp criticism from lawmakers.
Committee chair David Gikaria said the matter carries significant economic implications and requires urgent accountability.
“The economy of this country is at stake. This is a matter of national importance, and we will not allow Parliament to be taken for granted,” he said.
The probe comes amid wider turbulence in the energy docket, which has already seen high-level exits, including former Energy Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, former Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority Director General Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria, and former Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director Joe Sang.
Lawmakers are seeking detailed documentation on the disputed consignment, including whether approvals were formally issued, whether records exist within the ministry or regulatory agencies, and whether communication occurred between the ministry and EPRA.
They have also asked officials to explain the legal provisions under which petroleum imports could occur outside the G-to-G framework, and whether any regulatory gaps enabled the transaction.
Wandayi is expected to appear alongside acting EPRA Director-General Joseph Oketch, as well as representatives from KPC and the Kenya Revenue Authority.
The committee is demanding answers on where the quality assurance chain failed — including pre-shipment inspection, port testing, and final certification — and whether proper verification protocols were followed at each stage.
MPs also want to know how much of the allegedly substandard fuel reached consumers, and what measures have been taken to trace, recall, or neutralise affected supplies.
Further, the committee is probing whether fuel quality standards were breached, whether test results were altered or waived, and whether monitoring systems were bypassed.
Bomachoge Borabu MP Obadiah Barongo questioned the accountability within the ministry, suggesting inconsistencies in how responsibility has been assigned.
“The absence of the CS before us, coming at a time when the petroleum sector is turbulent, is suspect. We must get answers,” he said.
Parliament is also pushing for structural reforms to close loopholes in fuel importation and certification processes, including greater use of technology to reduce human discretion.
In a letter to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira said Wandayi missed the earlier session due to official duties abroad.
The committee has warned that failure to comply with the fresh summons could trigger enforcement measures, as legislators intensify oversight over a sector critical to Kenya’s economy and energy security.
