The Motorist Association of Kenya (MAK) has called for a full forensic audit of Kenya’s government-to-government fuel procurement system following remarks by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni about the use of middlemen. In a statement issued on Saturday, September 19, MAK said Museveni’s account had raised fresh questions about how petroleum products were sourced and priced under the arrangement and called for greater scrutiny of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).The association demanded an independent investigation into fuel imports, procurement, pricing and distribution in Kenya. It has also called for details of the intermediaries involved, the commissions paid, the contracts signed and the beneficiaries of the system. “MAK therefore demands: First, a full forensic audit of the G-to-G petroleum procurement system, including all intermediaries, commissions, contracts, pricing formulas and beneficiaries,” the statement read.In addition, the lobby said the actual landed cost of each fuel cargo should be disclosed, together with the margins added before the products reach consumers. MAK further reiterated a previous call for an independent review of EPRA’s pricing system and its independence.It said every cost included in pump prices should be independently verified and protected from political or commercial interference. The association’s demands come after Museveni said a Kenyan senator had alerted him that Uganda was buying petroleum products through middlemen in Kenya. Museveni said the senator’s insight prompted Uganda to move towards direct sourcing, with the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) working with global energy trader Vitol, after which the premiums paid on petrol, diesel and aviation fuel fell. Uganda announced in November 2023 that it would end its reliance on Kenyan oil marketing companies and intermediaries and has since moved to direct imports through the Port of Mombasa using Kenya Pipeline infrastructure.The association’s demands come as EPRA keeps maximum fuel prices unchanged for the current cycle until October 14, with petrol at Ksh214.03 per litre, diesel at Ksh217.86 and kerosene at Ksh191.38.
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