The irregular importation of two fuel consignments worth Sh4.8 billion has triggered a major scandal within the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, exposing what investigators believe is a carefully coordinated network of suspicious dealings involving officials nationwide.
On Saturday, the Executive Office of the President confirmed that the shipment was procured outside the government-to-government fuel importation framework, in clear violation of established procedures and at prices reported to be significantly inflated nationwide.
Sources close to the ongoing investigations told NTV that the controversial contract was signed on March 25, 2026, raising immediate questions over how the vessel, MT Paloma, docked in Mombasa barely two days later fully loaded.
Cargo records have further complicated the matter, indicating that the 68,000 metric tonnes of fuel had already been loaded in February at the Port of Fujairah in the UAE, weeks before the contract was allegedly formalised.
The timeline has now emerged as one of the biggest red flags in the probe, with investigators seeking to establish whether the procurement process was backdated to legitimise a pre-arranged fuel deal earlier on.
Shipping data shows MT Paloma departed the Port of Mombasa on March 30 after offloading the fuel, intensifying concerns over who authorised the consignment and why standard safeguards were bypassed entirely in procurement.
The company behind the importation is linked to a prominent Mombasa-based tycoon, a revelation that has shifted the spotlight onto possible collusion between business figures and government insiders alike nationwide.
Top executives associated with the firm have already been summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to record statements, as detectives widen the probe into possible procurement fraud and pricing irregularities further.
The latest revelations are expected to pile pressure on the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, with Kenyans now demanding accountability over a deal that could deepen public mistrust and weaken oversight institutions further nationwide.