Is the Kenya pipeline a scandal to make Kenyans forget NCPB ?
The Ministry of Petroleum and Mining now says no money was lost in the construction of the Kisumu Oil Jetty for which senior Kenya Pipeline Company officials are facing charges.
The Mining Cabinet Secretary had previously dodged the Senate Energy committee for questioning on the oil spill and other scandals that the Kenya Pipeline Company is facing.
Mr Munyes told reporters that he was not looking down upon the Senate and that he faced logistical challenges.
According to the CS John Munyes & PS Andrew Kamau, the Kisumu Oil Jetty was a Presidential Directive with budget approved by the Treasury and the KPC Board. The project was well executed and delivered within the stipulated timeline and budget with no variation.
This is a major contradiction with the charges against 6 KPC officials including outgoing Managing Director Joe Sang who were arraigned in court on Monday for charges including overspend in budget and engaging in a project without prior planning.
This begs the question of the intentions of charging public servants for a job well executed.
Mr Munyes is expected to shed light on issues including the extent of losses of oil in volumes and in cost, the status of the performance of Line 5 of the Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline, its completion and capacity to date as well as allegations of financial misappropriation.
A team comprising government officials and oil marketers will investigate the losses the company has incurred in oil transmission.
The fuel scandal has forced 10 leading oil marketers to protest and demand a forensic audit of their stocks.
The KPC has no fuel of its own so it holds stock in its system on behalf of the marketers.
The company has also been questioned on the Sh48 billion, 450-kilometre Mombasa-Nairobi Line 5 pipeline enhancement project, work that was awarded to Lebanese firm Zakheem Limited.
Another case is that of a Sh600 million tender awarded to Aero Dispenser Valves Limited, for the supply of aircraft refuelling equipment for Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport,
The tender was awarded by former KPC Managing Director Charles Tanui. The firm’s owner – Mr Francis Juma – has already been charged in court following investigations by the Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission.
The officers were released on a cash bail of Sh. 2 million