Sifuna says Lamu refinery statement request blocked from reaching Senate floor

In the request dated October 2, 2026, Sifuna sought a statement from the Senate Standing Committee on Energy regarding the proposed construction of the refinery in Lamu County.

He asked the committee to compel the production of records relating to the project, including details on public participation, its financing and implementation model, the amount to be borne by Kenyan taxpayers, value-for-money assessments and the beneficial owners of firms involved in its implementation.

Sifuna argued that a project of such scale should comply with constitutional requirements on transparency, accountability, public participation, sustainable development and management of public finances.

On Wednesday, the senator claimed the request had failed to secure approval to proceed to the Senate floor, accusing government allies in Parliament of frustrating attempts to obtain information on major State-backed projects.

"The reason Ruto speaks confidently in rallies telling us to use ‘formal channels’ to get documents held by the state is he knows his gatekeepers in Parliament will never approve this business to make it to the floor," Sifuna said.

"This one on the Lamu Refinery has suffered the same fate. We must uproot this entire system in 2027 to rescue our country," he added.

The senator's remarks amount to an allegation about how the request was handled in Parliament. The document shows that the statement was received by the Senate on October 2, but does not, on its own, establish why it did not proceed to the floor.