Senators have demanded a consolidated report on investigations into allegations of manipulated fuel-stock data and irregular emergency fuel procurement.
The Senate has given investigators and key government agencies 60 days to conclude inquiries into three former senior energy officials accused of manipulating fuel-stock data and facilitating irregular emergency fuel imports.
The Senate Committee on Energy wants the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, the Public Service Commission and the boards of the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) and Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) to submit a consolidated report detailing the progress and outcome of their investigations.
The officials at the centre of the investigation are former Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, former KPC Managing Director Joe Sang and former EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria. All three were arrested in April 2026 following allegations surrounding Kenya’s petroleum supply situation and subsequently left their positions. They have not been formally charged in court and were released after being granted police cash bail.
Alleged manipulation of fuel-stock data
At the heart of the controversy is an allegation that fuel-stock data was manipulated to create the impression that Kenya was facing an imminent shortage.
Government officials said in April that preliminary investigations suggested data on petroleum stocks had been altered, potentially creating an artificial sense of urgency at a time when international fuel prices were rising. The alleged manipulation was linked to an emergency procurement process outside the government’s existing Government-to-Government fuel-importation arrangements.
The allegations are serious because information on national fuel stocks is central to decisions on imports, supply security and prices. A false picture of available stocks could influence procurement decisions and potentially expose consumers and public institutions to unnecessary costs.
The Senate committee, however, has stopped short of determining individual criminal responsibility. Instead, it has chosen to allow investigative agencies to complete their work before making conclusions on possible wrongdoing. The committee has specifically stressed that any administrative, disciplinary or criminal proceedings must respect due process and the right to a fair hearing.
Controversial emergency imports
The data allegations emerged alongside questions over emergency fuel cargoes procured as Kenya faced concerns about petrol supplies.
According to the Ministry of Energy’s account, the emergency procurement was intended to prevent a possible shortage. One Petroleum and Oryx Energies were selected to supply emergency petrol outside the normal Government-to-Government framework. The arrangements later became the subject of intense scrutiny over pricing, procurement procedures and the quality of the fuel involved.
The controversy escalated after government officials said the country had adequate stocks and questioned why emergency imports had been ordered.
One of the cargoes reportedly involved a shipment that did not meet Kenyan fuel standards. The tenders were subsequently cancelled before the cargo procured by Oryx Energies was discharged into Kenya’s fuel-storage system.
The episode exposed vulnerabilities in the management of Kenya’s petroleum supply chain, particularly the importance of accurate stock information and transparent emergency procurement.
The three former officials
Liban, Sang and Kiptoo were among the most senior officials responsible for different parts of the petroleum supply chain.
Liban served as Petroleum Principal Secretary, while Sang headed KPC, a key state corporation responsible for petroleum storage and transportation infrastructure. Kiptoo was EPRA’s director general, placing him at the helm of the country’s petroleum regulator.
Their arrests and subsequent resignations represented a major shake-up in the energy sector.
Other officials were also implicated in the wider investigation, including former Deputy Director of Petroleum Joseph Wafula and former KPC Supply and Logistics Manager Joel Mburu.
The Senate’s decision to focus on the status of the investigations rather than immediately determine culpability reflects the distinction between allegations and proven wrongdoing.
Why the 60-day deadline matters
The Senate’s deadline comes after several months of investigations without formal charges being announced.
The DCI investigation has reportedly extended beyond Kenya, with detectives travelling to Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the fuel procurement. Yet investigators have not publicly released their final findings.
The committee’s 60-day deadline is therefore intended to prevent the matter from losing momentum.
The agencies have been asked to provide one consolidated report rather than separate accounts, allowing senators to assess the criminal, administrative and disciplinary dimensions of the case together.
The deadline also creates a clear point at which Parliament can demand accountability if investigations remain incomplete.
Protecting the integrity of fuel information
The controversy has highlighted the importance of reliable petroleum data in a country where fuel prices have a direct impact on transport, food prices and the wider economy.
Kenya’s Petroleum Act places obligations on petroleum-sector licensees to provide information required by the regulator and criminalises the provision of false information in circumstances covered by the law.
That legal framework underlines why allegations involving fuel-stock information require careful investigation. Accurate data is not simply an administrative requirement; it can influence major government decisions involving millions of litres of fuel and billions of shillings.
What happens next
The Senate committee has made clear that the next stage belongs to the investigative and oversight institutions.
Within 60 days, the agencies are expected to tell Parliament what their investigations have established, whether disciplinary action has been taken and whether criminal proceedings are warranted.
For the three former officials, the process could determine whether the allegations lead to formal charges, administrative consequences or ultimately no further action.
For the government, the wider issue is institutional: ensuring that Kenya’s petroleum supply chain is governed by accurate information, transparent procurement and effective accountability.
The Senate’s 60-day deadline has therefore put investigators on notice. The next report could determine not only the fate of the former energy chiefs, but also whether Kenya has closed the weaknesses exposed by the fuel-supply controversy.
