Controversy at Kenya Pipeline Company

Tackling corruption in Kenya has been an issue that lags on for years without results. There’s a current revelation about the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) alleged theft of 27.3 million litres of fuel worth over KES 2.5 billion. The leaked information has left many Kenyans with doubts and eagerness to find out what’s really happening at the KPC?

With the general election just a few months away, this issue could be used as major campaign tool as a way of luring innocent Kenyans voting in the same leaders who  loot the same funds for their campaigns with fake promises of investigating into the matter.

This strategy will divert the attention of the public from the real pressing issues that are currently being experienced in the country to the empty promises of investigation of the alleged theft by the KPC. This calls for transparency from the KPC in regards to fuel supply and storage. This was alleged by the employees at the KPC who view it as a sitting duck of gathering campaign money by the powerful people behind it. The most disturbing question is, will the KPC manage to give transparency to the general public throughout the entire ordeal?

Sometime back an employee was suspended for illegally made headway with oil amounting to 300,000 litres which was actually a transaction between KPC and another company. This wasn’t a matter of system losses but it was all a scheme. These concurrent schemes have and still are only but a way to cover up to the public the actual acts of huge activities of theft in the corporation which might take place.

In a period of five years since the new devolved government took over, the Kenya Pipeline Company has had a series of change in the management. And this has seen the company have four managing directors in whom three of them have lost their jobs through questionable circumstances which lead to mismanagement of billions of money in the oil industry.

The above alleged act of theft has left a series of questions in the minds of the citizens, its clearly seen that through the allegations KPC is run by cartels who loot billions of cash from the oil industry. KPC needs to do a lot more than just convincing the public about these shameful acts of theft of public fund to clear the doubts of many.

Related: EACC to work with Business Community in fighting Corruption

Written by Amina Martha.