“There is no reason to stop me from continuing to discharge my duties as cabinet Secretary,” he told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy on Monday.
According to Wandayi, the procurement of the vessel that shipped the controversial consignment importation was approved by former Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban following a recommendation by a technical committee, and a brief on stock position and proposals that were prepared and forwarded to the PS.
“The PS in his wisdom did approve it.”
Appearing before the Parliamentary committee for energy, the CS said he took the necessary steps, including informing President William Ruto when he found out the fuel consignment was imported irregularly.
“I personally moved swiftly and briefed His Excellency the President on the 30th of March, when it became very clear now that this consignment was outside G-to-G. It is upon that brief that actually His Excellency advised me to take the necessary steps to have the second cargo, which was en route, stopped,” he told the MPs.
The legislators sought to find out why Wandayi had not resigned after other energy officials implicated in the scandal left office.
In his defence, Wandayi said there has been no other fuel importation made outside the G-to-G framework since it took effect in 2023.
“This is the first consignment that came outside the G-to-G framework,” he said.
The energy minister added that the G-to-G framework has so far worked seamlessly, and any deviation from it would require cabinet approval.
There have been calls for Wandayi to step down following the resignation of energy ministry officials implicated in the illegal fuel importation.
Petroleum PS Liban, Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Director General Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria, and Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Managing Director Joe Sang resigned on April 4 following their arrest over the fuel scandal.
On April 10, a case was filed at the Milimani High Court seeking the suspension of Wandayi over alleged involvement in the irregular importation of fuel.
