A logistics manager at the Kenya Pipeline Company was Friday granted anticipatory bail after expressing fears of his arrest over the Sh12 billion substandard fuel scandal.
The High Court granted Joel Mburu Sh5 million anticipatory bail with surety of a similar amount after he moved to court under certificate of urgency.
The official said he was living in fear and apprehensive that the police may pursue him and arrest any time and subject him to harassment and torture, against his constitutional rights as provided in Articles 50 and 51 of the Constitution of Kenya.
“That it is in the interest of justice that this application is heard urgently and conservatory orders be issued in the interim, restraining the respondents or their servants from arresting me or holding me in police custody” he said.
Mburu said that he was on Easter holiday on April 2, 2026 when he was intormed that unknown people had raided his home in Rironi, Kiambu County.
He said persons believed to be police officers later broke into his home on April 3 and carted away unknown items.
The manager said he came back and as a result of the stress, mental anguish, fear and apprehension.
He went to a city hospital where his doctors recommended a three-day rest “to restore proper functioning of his vital organs and faculties”
Through his lawyers, Mburu undertook to appear betore any police station, produce any documents relating to the matters in issue as and when required to by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and aid in the investigations to the possible extent.
He further said that the police have laid siege to his home, ostensibly waiting for him to appear to arrest him or forcefully take him into custody.
He pointed out that a few days later, the Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, issued a press statement on investigations into allegations of unlawful importation of oil and petroleum products into the country, outside the applicable policy and regulatory framework.
Senior energy officials, including KPC managing director Joe Sang and Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Director-General Daniel Kiptoo, were later arrested and freed atter spending the Easter weekend in custody.
The two, alongside Petroleum PS Mohamed Liban, have since resigned over the fuel scandal.
The officials stepped down following investigations into a tuel scandal involv the importation of substandard fuel.
A team of detectives is investigating the saga and has so far recorded statements from about 30 persons of interest.
The team was seeking statements from more people in the committee before they forward the file to the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions for action.
The officials in VAC are said to have raised an alarm of a possible fuel shortage in the wake of Iran war which prompted others in the chain to sanction the importation of the fuel now under probe.
VAC are specialized bodies or meetings established to ensure consistency in maritime operations, data reporting, and technical standards between stakeholders, such as ocean carriers and marine terminal operators.
Their work is to improve supply chain visibility and efficiency by standardizing data points, processes, and practices between Ocean Carriers and Marine Terminal Operators (MTOs).
Investigations show officials at the ministry of energy had on March 18, 2026 sent memos indicating there would be fuel shortage over the Iran war.
This was escalated to other officials got a vessel with fuel at USD110 and outside the Government to Government framework.
This was deemed too expensive.
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