By Andrew Kariuki

Ledama Olekina has accused the government of deliberately manipulating fuel prices, claiming that current pump price increases are not justified by supply or global market conditions.

In a strongly worded statement addressed to William Ruto on his official X page, Olekina alleged that the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) is “playing games in cohort with a cabal” within oil marketing companies, despite what he described as sufficient fuel supply in the country.

“As a member of the Energy Committee, I can authoritatively state that Kenya’s monthly requirement for PMS is only about 180,000 metric tonnes,” he said.

The senator claimed that under the Government-to-Government (G2G) fuel importation framework, the country is currently receiving supplies well above its monthly needs, citing an additional 180 metric tonnes expected within weeks from vessels including Valory Roma, MT Banias and MT Sinthia.

“These cargoes were loaded in Europe and the United States at approximately USD 84 per metric tonne, which should translate into cheaper, not more expensive, fuel for Kenyan consumers,” he added.

Olekina questioned the continued rise in fuel prices, arguing that the existing supply levels and relatively low landed costs point to “systemic manipulation rather than genuine cost pass-through.”

“The public deserves a clear explanation of why prices are rising when stocks are more than adequate,” he said.

In a separate post, the senator raised concerns over what he termed as irregularities in emergency fuel procurement, questioning how a relatively unknown firm, One Petroleum, was able to secure and deliver fuel within an unusually short timeframe.

“If my memory serves me right, the National Security Advisory emphasized diversifying fuel sources, not suppliers, yet One Petroleum… delivered within hours. This timeline suggests premeditated planning and an orchestrated crisis,” he said.

Olekina went further to allege that the recent fuel shortage was artificially created, calling on the President to take decisive action.

“We are not fools… someone engineered this shortage. You must deal ruthlessly with both the public sector and private sector to safeguard Kenyans’ interests,” he stated.

He named individuals he claimed were behind the alleged scheme, including Joel Mburu of the Kenya Pipeline Company, Joseph Wafula from the Ministry of Energy and Mohammed Jeffer of One Petroleum, while suggesting that former Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban was “collateral damage.”

The claims come amid growing public concern over rising fuel prices, with pressure mounting on the government to explain the pricing structure and supply chain dynamics under the G2G framework.

Authorities are yet to respond to the allegations.