Khalwale fires at CS Opiyo Wandayi, calls for sacking over fuel scandal

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, has come out publicly to demand for ouster of Energy Cabinet Secretary, Opiyo Wandayi and urged that he should be immediately arrested due to "gross incompetence."

Kenyans online flooded social media to express their disappointments  @maishatours_, commented, “mnaibaje bila bossie?” @elija_gicguru, posted, “mchezo wa taon”, while @ibrah_karis, asked, “Mko sure hii ni fighting corruption ama hawakufanya vile kiongozi alitaka?”

This comes amid an explosive fuel scandal that erupted on Thursday, that saw the seizure of key figures, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Managing Director Daniel Kiptoo, Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) MD Joe Sang, and Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban. The trio tendered their resignations today. 

Khalwale cautions that executive negligence could necessitate parliamentary intervention, including National Assembly impeachment proceedings.

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, supporting the Senator’s stance, has dismissed the arrests as pure façade, according to him "It has very little to do with the welfare of Kenyans, and it has everything to do with small people who have eaten what belongs to the big man”, he explained.

Issue of the alleged government-to-government (G-to-G) fuel importation model, that has been long criticised as a lucrative racket for politically connected cartels intended to increase the pump prices, arose.

Critics are now questioning how an alleged multi-billion-shilling scheme, involving the smuggle of adulterated fuel worth Ksh4 billion entered into the Kenyan market evading detection.

The scandal has since cast a rather negative and harsh spotlight on the Ministry of Energy in general, with the current administration seemingly being under public scrutiny.

No official comment from Opiyo Wandayi as of yet, as investigations intensifies under the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).