Mombasa businessman Mohamed Jaffer is among top oil executives summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over a multibillion-shilling saga that saw top energy sector bosses resign.
The DCI has summoned Mr Jaffer, Oryx Energies CEO Angeline Maangi and her Gulf Energy counterpart Paul Limo to record statements on an imports scheme.
Energy PS Mohamed Liban, Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Managing Director Joe Sang and Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) Director-General Daniel Kiptoo resigned after being arrested over the same scheme.
A police source privy to the probe told the Nation on Friday that Mr Jaffer informed investigators that he is currently unwell, but will send a representative to record a statement on behalf of his One Petroleum Ltd next Wednesday.
The summons, the source added, allows the tycoon to send any other One Petroleum Ltd representative to furnish detectives with information on how the firm came to import the 60,000 metric tonnes of fuel.
Investigations also show that One Petroleum Ltd’s consignment had higher levels of Sulphur, Benzene and Manganese than those accepted under specifications set by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs).
The company, in a statement dated April 7, the company said it is among four firms that responded to an emergency fuel supply request issued by the Energy ministry, but that it would take steps to withdraw the super petrol from the open market.
Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Opiyo Wandayi (Left) Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) acting Managing Director Pius Mwendwa (Right) and Acting Director General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), Joseph Oketch (Centre) before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Energy, on Monday, April 13, 2026.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation
Detectives have so far recorded 28 statements from individuals in the public and private sector, all of whom were involved in the controversial importation of fuel outside the Government-to-Government deal.
Among the 28 are members of the Vehicle Alignment Committee – a group made of public and private sector entities and which coordinates fuel imports and keeps stock of reserves.
Documents earlier seen by the Nation show that the committee sat on March 18, with 29 individuals in attendance.
This included five representatives of the Energy ministry, one each from Epra, KPC, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the National Oil Corporation of Kenya.
From the private sector were representatives of One Petroleum, Oryx Energies, Galana Energies, Gulf Energy, TotalEnergies, Be Energy, Talos Energy, Vivo Energy, Costalina, Aftah Petroleum, Rubis Energy, OLA Energy, Hass Petroleum, E3 Energies and Asharami Synergy.
It was in that VAC meeting that the importation outside the Government-to-Government scheme kicked off.
Former Energy PS Mr Liban justified the move with an alleged instruction from a committee of National Security Council to source for reserve stocks outside the Gulf region where a US-Iran conflict has affected global oil trade.
Kebs and the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) have also been summoned for statement recording, but are yet to send representatives to the DCI headquarters.
Kebs is expected to share the outcome of tests conducted on One Petroleum Ltd’s consignment, while KPA officers will shed light on the process which cleared the MT Paloma to dock in Mombasa and offload One Petroleum’s 60,000 metric tonnes of super petrol.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Headquarters along Kiambu Road.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Last week, 20 individuals among them Mr Sang recorded statements. Among the issues, that these individuals were questioned on is how the fuel imported and the country of origin.
A source familiar with the investigations said that 20 government bureaucrats in their statements maintained that the imports by One Petroleum and Oryx Energies were given the greenlight by senior State officials in an attempt to stop a looming fuel shortage.
Former EPRA Director-General Mr Kiptoo was last week questioned by DCI investigators at the DCI headquarters on Kiambu road.
Detectives from the DCI Economic Crimes Unit took over investigations from the Operation Support Unit officers who raided the homes of Mr Kiptoo, Mr Sang and Mr Liban last weekend arrested them and two other KPC staff.
In their statements, Sang and Kiptoo denied any wrongdoing in the importation of the now condemned fuel.
Mr Kiptoo allegedly maintained that he was mandated to monitor the prices of fuel and make adjustments after getting reports from importers and the Kenya pipeline.
On his part, Mr Sang allegedly told investigators that KPC was auditing fuel reserves at the time of his arrest, but that he was not part of the procurement team that settled on One Petroleum and Oryx Energies.
The officers who also include staff the Kenya Bureau of Standards were required to shed light on among other things the Ship that brought the fuel into the country and examination on the imported fuel.
