Former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Top officials in retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government face parliamentary investigation over a botched Sh426.6 million decommission of the old Mombasa-Nairobi fuel pipeline by the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC).
The National Assembly’s Committee on Energy has opened an inquiry into how a presidential directive issued on March 25, 2022, was implemented without seeking the necessary approvals.
Former Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua communicated the presidential directive to the then Petroleum and Mining Principal Secretary Andrew Ng’ang’a to convert the Mombasa-Nairobi oil pipeline commonly known as Line 1 for supply of water to the Coast region.
The initiative, which has since been abandoned was effected without seeking approvals from the National Environment Management Authority (Nema).
The project, estimated to cost Sh745,487,602, was abandoned after samples from various locations, including the Mzima Spring intake point by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) and the SGS Kenya found the water unsuitable for human use.
“It is notified that His Excellency the President has directed…the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining shall facilitate the utilisation of the Mombasa-Nairobi oil pipeline (Line 1) for the supply of water from Mzima Springs to Mombasa City and its environs,” Mr Kinyua wrote.
“The Kenya Pipeline Company Limited shall secure the decommission of the Mombasa-Nairobi oil pipeline (Line 1) on a priority basis to facilitate the supply of water to the coast region,” he added.
Mr Joe Sang, the KPC managing director, told the committee chaired by Mwala MP Vincent Musyoka that the former President directed that the KPC use the old pipeline to transport water from Mzima Springs to help alleviate the water supply shortage within Mombasa county.
The old pipeline was abandoned after KPC contracted Zakhem International Construction (Kenya) Ltd to build the Sh48 billion ($484,502,886.40) new Mombasa –Nairobi oil pipeline.
Mr Sang told MPs that the corporation started the project without securing the necessary approvals from the National Environment Management Authority (Nema).
“Are you telling us that the KPC started this project without the approval of Nema? If this is the case, I direct that we rest this matter as we undertake a full inquiry and apportion the blame to whoever started the project accordingly,” Mr Musyoka said before adjourning the meeting.
“I direct that a full inquiry be opened into this matter and we will summon all individuals who conceptualised and executed this project without seeking necessary approvals. We have lost Sh426.6 million in unviable projects.”
