Oil companies blamed for jet fuel shortage

By Standard Reporter

Oil marketing companies are sabotaging the importation of fuel especially petrol and jet fuel, The Standard has established.

This could be another acute shortage of fuel, and other than the motorists, the airports might this time be among the casualties. Documents in our possession show how the oil companies have been manipulating the market and causing artificial shortage to drive up the pump prices.

According to the monthly Kipevu Oil Storage Facility (KOSF) nominations sent to Pipeline Coordinator, the country is yet to receive any jet or petrol into the facility despite nominations having been made. The situation has led to the Minister of Energy pleading with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) on behalf of marketers. In a letter last week, PS Patrick Nyoike asked KRA to allow marketers access to dead stocks at KOSF and in the pipeline system.

Marketers have cited the volatile situation off the Somali coastline as among the issues they have to grapple with. A ship that was to bring part of the February supplies had been forced to wait for military escort before it could sail south. Oil Industry Secretariat Pipeline coordinator Mburu Kimani in a February 17 email to industry players, pointed at worrying trend in as far as nominations for Jet and super fuel is concerned.