UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar has strongly criticised certain political leaders for politicising Kenya’s ongoing petroleum scandal, describing their remarks as “superficial” and irresponsible.
Speaking during a press briefing in Mombasa on Monday, Omar warned that such rhetoric risks undermining economic stability and public confidence, stressing that national energy security should not be exploited for political gain.
“This commentary has not only been discordant on this critical national matter, but also conspicuously superficial, betraying a troubling lack of intellectual depth and policy understanding during this vulnerable moment,” Omar said.
He singled out political figures he accused of aligning with unscrupulous civil servants who sought to profit illegally from the crisis, claiming their schemes could have caused a direct loss of over Sh 3 billion to the public.
Omar explained that the scandal involved the procurement of substandard petroleum products under the pretext of an impending fuel shortage, while some officials allegedly restricted the discharge of petroleum products to create artificial supply constraints.
“Instead of condemning such characters and applauding their resignations because they are indeed not victims but villains, certain politicians have sided with individuals who engineered artificial supply constraints,” he said, highlighting the potential harm to consumers and critical economic sectors.
He also dismissed claims suggesting political interference in the government’s energy importation framework, asserting that the Government-to-Government (G-to-G) pricing mechanism had maintained stability and ensured quality.
“The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority will sustain the G-to-G pricing framework, which continues to offer the most reliable safeguard for fuel quality supplies and national energy security,” Omar said.
The UDA Secretary General further confirmed that safeguards had been instituted to mitigate risks from substandard cargo, including mandatory quality tests at discharge, and that surcharge and recovery proceedings against importers had commenced.
He added that punitive measures amounting to five times the projected loss, totaling Sh15 billion, would be ring-fenced and channeled to strengthen Level Six referral hospitals.
Omar urged investigative agencies to scrutinise political leaders whose statements suggested undue familiarity with the scandal, warning that any evidence of complicity would be treated as an accomplice and prosecuted accordingly.
“The UDA commends the government and its security agencies for swiftly nipping this criminal enterprise in the bud and strongly condemns reckless and thoughtless utterances by politicians seeking to exploit a matter of national economic security,” he said.