Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah is demanding transparency from Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir and his Transport counterpart Kipchumba Murkomen regarding their involvement in a purported Ksh17 billion scandal linked to oil tycoon Ann Njeri Njoroge.
In a statement released on Saturday, the activist asserted that there may be business ties between the two Cabinet Secretaries and the oil tycoon, urging them to disclose any connections they may have.
Omtatah expressed suspicions that a fallout between the CSs and Ann Njeri might have prompted her to contest the consignment, contradicting statements by CS Chrirchir, who insisted that it belonged to a local company.
"I challenge CS Chirchir and CS Murkomen to stop fooling the nation and come clean on their relationship with Alice Njeri, whom I reasonably believe is their front in the heist, whom they have fallen out with," dared Omtatah.
Despite making these claims, Omtatah did not provide supporting documentation such as company records or phone records. Conversely, he alleged that the Ksh17 billion used for the oil purchase was government-funded.
The first-time Senator and activist contended that the money was irregularly withdrawn from the Ministry of Energy accounts, having been deposited from the Treasury three times since October 2022.
Referring to official statements, Omtatah detailed, "As per the Statement of Actual Revenue and Net Exchequer Issues gazetted by Ukur Yatani, the then CS Treasury, vide Kenya Gazette Notice No. 12580 of October 6, 2022, the ministry withdrew from the Consolidated Fund some Ksh16,637,588,580 in September 2022, purportedly for subsidies to private financial enterprises."
He further claimed that the CS Treasury, Prof. Njuguna Ndung'u, gazetted the withdrawal of Ksh9,102,983,190 in January 2023, and Ksh17,224,718,632 in June 2023, for similar purposes.
Omtatah questioned the silence of other directors in Ann Njeri's company regarding the matter. As of now, Ann Njeri and the two CSs have not responded to the allegations.
The CSs, however, have maintained that the oil was imported by a company, not an individual. Chirchir directed Ann Njeri to record a statement with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, citing a court case, while Murkomen claimed that the consignment was released to its rightful owners.
Ann Njeri and her lawyer Cliff Ombeta have accused the government of stealing the consignment and threatening her. Ombeta argued that Ann Njeri was the rightful owner and questioned the government's actions. Ann Njeri claimed her kidnappers wanted her dead but released her after clearing her of any wrongdoing.
