Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has dismissed growing calls for his resignation over the alleged Ksh4.8 billion substandard fuel saga, maintaining that he has no reason to step aside as investigations continue.
Speaking before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Energy on April 13, Wandayi defended his position and insisted that due process must be allowed to take its course. He expressed confidence that ongoing inquiries would clear him of any wrongdoing linked to the controversial fuel consignment.
“When all is said and done, in the final analysis, there is no reason stopping me from discharging my duties as Cabinet Secretary,” Wandayi told the committee during a tense session that saw lawmakers push for accountability over the matter.
The CS provided a detailed account of how the allegedly substandard fuel entered the country, stating that the shipment did not follow the established government-to-government (G-to-G) fuel importation framework. According to him, the process was handled at a technical level involving senior ministry officials, including the Principal Secretary, before it was escalated through internal structures.
Wandayi maintained that any deviation from the G-to-G agreement would have required higher-level approval, which he said was never sought. He argued that had such a request reached his office, he would have acted on it and escalated the matter to the President for further direction.
“In short, this deviation would have required higher approval. The approval was not sought, and if it had been sought, I would have escalated the matter accordingly,” he told the committee.
At the same time, the CS distanced himself from recent developments involving the resignation of three senior energy sector officials. He stated that he was not aware of the circumstances surrounding their exits, suggesting that the decisions could have been made independently based on personal or professional considerations.
The substandard fuel saga has sparked public concern, with stakeholders raising questions about regulatory oversight and accountability within the energy sector. Lawmakers have vowed to pursue the matter to its conclusion, even as pressure mounts on key officials to take responsibility.
As investigations continue, attention remains firmly on the ministry’s leadership and the processes that allowed the disputed consignment into the country. The outcome of the probe is expected to shape public confidence in the sector and determine the next course of action for those implicated.
