Energy CS Davis Chirchir has revealed how businesswoman Ann Njoroge approached him in his office over the controversial importation and ownership of a dubious fuel consignment worth Sh17 billion.
Chirchir says the businesswoman disappeared into thin air after she allegedly recorded a statement at DCI Headquarters along Kiambu road over the cargo she is battling over with two oil marketing firms.
The CS spoke on Monday while leading a tree planting exercise in Baringo County, coming five days after Anne claimed her consignment of 100,000 metric tonnes of diesel illegally berthed at the Mombasa port.
He indicated that his ministry will work with the relevant agencies to establish the truth behind the dubious consignment, which he says was imported by a Kenyan company identified as Galana Energies.
“Hiyo kesi iko kortini Mombasa I am aware a lady called Ann came to my office ameenda huko kwa port akasema meli ni yake hiyo meli ilifika kitambo brought in by a company called Galana and it has been discharged so we will work to cooperate tujue ukweli iko wapi so but the case is in court at the moment,” Chirchir stated.
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Galana Energies, according to the cabinet secretary, is one of the oil marketing companies that had been cherry-picked to supply the other oil marketers with fuel in Kenya’s government to government deal.
It, however, remains unclear Anne Njoroge’s whereabouts after the CS reportedly advised her to proceed to record a statement on the matter with the DCI, which is reportedly still reconnoitering the matter.
This comes as Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) accused the businesswoman of falsifying documents which she used to claim ownership of the cargo after the authority was accused of offloading some of the fuel.
During a media briefing, KPA Managing Director William Ruto and Board Chairperson Benjamin Tayari indicated that Galana Energies Limited possessed the genuine importation documents for the said cargo.
The KPA management also says, according to their records, the ship in question was carrying 93,460 metric tonnes of gasoil and not 100,000 metric tonnes of diesel as alleged by the businesswoman.
“Ile Bill of Lading amesema ni yake na ndio hii na ndio ukweli. Bill of Lading imekuwa signed na shipper kuwa ni yeye, carrier ni yeye things that cannot add up,” intimated Captain Ruto.
The authority also revealed that the consignment was loaded September 26-28, 2023 at Yanbu - Samref terminal in Saudi Arabia before leaving for Jeddah for anchorage then for Mombasa on September 30.
KPA also says Aramco Trading Fujairah, a Ministry of Energy and Petroleum nominee, shipped 49,091 metric tonnes of the cargo for Kenya, and the remainder destined for Uganda, DRC and South Sudan.
The ports authority insists no documentation in their possession proves the ownership claims by Anne through her Import and Export Enterprises Limited saying her documents had too many inconsistencies.