KPC foils attempt to siphon petroleum products through illegal pipeline connection

The Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) has foiled an attempt to siphon petroleum products through an illegal connection on a pipeline linking two delivery pumping stations in Mombasa County.

The attempted theft was detected on Monday, November 2, 2026, during routine surveillance by KPC's security and pipeline maintenance teams along the line connecting Pumping Station 14 to Pumping Station 15.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 3, KPC said its emergency and incident response teams moved swiftly to secure the site after the illegal connection was detected.

The company subsequently reported the incident to Chaani Police Station, with specialist police teams taking over the investigation to identify those behind the attempted theft and the circumstances surrounding the illegal connection.

KPC General Manager for Human Resource and Administration Dinah Kirwa commended the officers involved in detecting and responding to the incident, saying their intervention prevented the loss of petroleum products.

"Our gallant officers have successfully managed to foil a criminal act which is currently under investigation by the relevant authorities," Kirwa said.

She added that the illegal connection did not result in any product loss because the monitoring teams detected it and secured the scene promptly.

The incident has been referred to the police for further investigations, although KPC did not disclose whether any suspects had been arrested or how long the illegal connection had been in place.

The company also did not provide details on the method used to establish the connection or whether the perpetrators had attempted to extract petroleum products before its discovery.

The attempted siphoning highlights the security risks facing petroleum transportation infrastructure, where unauthorised connections can expose pipelines to product theft, operational disruptions and safety hazards.

KPC said it relies on a combination of technological and physical surveillance systems to protect its pipeline infrastructure across the country.

The company's 1,342-kilometre pipeline network is monitored through security intelligence systems, leak-detection technology and other safety measures designed to identify potential threats and respond to incidents in real time.

According to the company, the monitoring systems are intended to safeguard critical infrastructure and reduce exposure to operational, environmental and reputational risks.

KPC also said it had invested in internationally benchmarked safety protocols to strengthen the protection of its facilities and pipeline network.

The company did not indicate whether the Mombasa incident had affected petroleum deliveries or operations along the affected line.