A fuel siphoning syndicate has hit the Kenya Pipeline Company Nakuru-Kisumu line once again, raising doubts over the spillage detection system.
The company was Saturday struggling to repair a section of the pipeline at Kibos in Kisumu, where criminals have been siphoning and selling diesel to suppliers for a long time.
Police were Saturday hunting for the suspects who had connected pipes to the main KPC line through an underground tunnel, adjacent to the Kisumu-Kibos road. It is suspected that they may have made millions from illegal connections since the metal pipes had become rusty.
The 1.3 kilometre pipeline led to a light cottage factory from where the cartel would have operated a loading ramp or pumped the fuel to a nearby petrol station, according to preliminary investigations. A 70-metre tunnel from a nappier grass plantation which also served as a tree nursery led to the 6-inch high velocity pipeline.
Kisumu Depot manager Herman Munga suspects that the crooks were using the shed in the plantation to access the valve on the high pressure line. “We think the pipes they were using to ferry the fuel to the loading bay gave way and burst due to pressure,” he said.