Senator Khalwale Demands Resignation of Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi Following Major Fuel Importation Scandal

Senator Boni Khalwale demands Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi resign or be impeached after three top petroleum officials quit amid a KSh 4 billion oil import scandal.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 4, 2026, 9:27 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from TUKO.co.ke

The Collapse of Senior Leadership at the State Department of Petroleum

The Kenyan energy sector has been plunged into a state of emergency following the high profile resignations of three top officials on April 4, 2026. Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo, and Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director Joe Sang stepped down after being targeted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. The trio is accused of orchestrating a sophisticated scheme to defraud the state by falsifying national fuel reserve data to create a synthetic shortage, which was then used to justify emergency procurement of substandard fuel.

Allegations of Data Manipulation and Economic Crimes

According to State House, the suspects allegedly manipulated official records to bypass the established government to government framework and procurement regulations. By inflating the urgency of the fuel need, they reportedly authorized the importation of expensive, low quality fuel that violated national standards. These actions are being treated as potential economic crimes under the Anti Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, with investigators characterizing the move as a profound breach of public trust that placed an unnecessary financial burden on the Kenyan taxpayer.

Khalwale Issues a Moral and Political Ultimatum

In the wake of these exits, Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has redirected the spotlight toward Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi. Khalwale argues that as the primary policy enforcer and leader reporting directly to the President, Wandayi cannot remain in office while his subordinates are investigated for a KSh 4 billion scandal. The senator maintains that Wandayi either knew about the diversion of condemned fuel and is criminally liable, or he was unaware and is therefore guilty of gross incompetence that warrants immediate removal.