MPs summon Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung’u over Ksh.17B oil row

The National Assembly’s Finance committee has summoned Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof. Njuguna Ndung'u to clarify whether Ksh.17 billion was irregularly withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund in June this year for purposes of financing a diesel subsidy programme to private entities.

This comes after the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition flagged the amount as similar to the figure cited in the Ksh.17.2 billion oil importation saga.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Chief Executive Officer Twalib Mbarak disclosed that the State agency will make a determination on whether to investigate the oil importation saga or not.

Businesswoman Anne Njeri Njoroge claims to be the rightful owner of the consignment despite contradictory claims by Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, who during an exclusive interview with Citizen TV, denied receiving proceeds from the Consolidated Fund to purchase the 100,000 metric tonnes of diesel from the Gulf.

Njeri is also scheduled to appear before the National Assembly Public Investment Committee on Energy on Wednesday, to shed more light into the oil importation saga.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga has since called for the immediate resignation of CS Chirchir and CS Ndung’u over what he termed as a scheme in the procurement of petroleum products through a purported Government-to-Government agreement with Saudi Arabia.

Odinga claimed the Kenya-Saudi deal was signed and kept secret to drive up the cost of fuel in the country while benefiting certain government officials.

He alleged that Kenya did not sign any agreement with the UAE or Saudi Arabia and that the agreement was signed between the Energy Ministry and state-owned companies in the Middle East.

Addressing journalists in Nairobi on Monday, he accused Chirchir and Ndung’u of committing a crime and said they must vacate their offices and be prosecuted.

“Mr Chirchir and National Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung’u have certainly committed criminal offences, abused office and gone against the constitution. They stole money from the consolidated fund in addition to spending money way above what Parliament approved. They must not only resign but must also be prosecuted,” he said.

President William Ruto, CS Chirchir and oil marketing companies previously denied the opposition leader’s claims.

Ruto on Friday said the State does not act as a broker in the oil procurement business, but rather as an underwriter responsible for ensuring oil transactions occur without any hitches.

The oil marketing companies on their part maintained that an MoU was signed in the G-to-G oil deal and that it was also supported by existing bilateral trade relations between Kenya and the Middle Eastern countries.

But Odinga on Monday said Kenya is in the middle of State capture and a “complete takeover by cartels”

He cited Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah’s analysis which alleges that the government financed Njeri, the businesswoman at the centre of the contentious Ksh.17 billion fuel deal.