Cleophas Malala, the Secretary General of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), has ignited a political hailstorm by implicating retired President Uhuru Kenyatta and Azimio leader Raila Odinga in the controversial KSh 17 billion oil shipment saga.
Malala, without providing concrete evidence, alleges that the two political heavyweights are connected to the little-known trader, Anne Njeri Njoroge, who claims ownership of the massive oil consignment.
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Addressing the media, Malala didn’t filter his words, challenging Uhuru and Raila to come clean on their alleged involvement in the fuel controversy. “Kenya’s fuel sector cannot be controlled by two families, we must break the monopoly, and therefore Uhuru and Raila must declare their interest in the fuel debate,” said Malala.
UDA Sec Gen @Cleophasmalala now ALLEGES that Njeri wa Mafuta's 17B Shilling Oil shipment belongs to Azimio leaders @RailaOdinga and @4thPresidentKE @EtalePhilip @edwinsifuna pic.twitter.com/H10lPaBsx1
— Chazima on X (@SChazima) November 21, 2023
He went further to claim that the oil, which Njeri purportedly procured, might be tainted by proceeds of corruption from Kenyatta’s administration. Malala accuses the Azimio leaders of orchestrating a grand theft in the final days of Uhuru’s presidency.
This bombshell comes on the heels of Raila Odinga linking the oil scandal to officials in President William Ruto’s cabinet. Odinga called for the resignation of Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir and Treasury counterpart Njuguna Ndung’u, alleging criminal offenses, abuse of office, and constitutional violations.
The former Prime Minister, in a statement, said, “They stole money from the Consolidated Fund, in addition to spending monies way above what Parliament approved. The CSs must not only resign; they must also be prosecuted.”
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"The ministry is changing biding months giving oil companies room to overcharge; for instance, cargo that was bought in July at a lower price is allowed to quote higher… pic.twitter.com/LVvY6gt2B5
— Kijana Ya Baba (Parody)🇰🇪 (@kijanaYaa) November 16, 2023
However, Chirchir denied Njeri’s claims, insisting that she presented forged documents and that the oil consignment belongs to Galana Energies. In a detailed chronology of events, Chirchir dismissed Njeri’s application for an oil importation license, which he claims was rejected by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
The political saga took another twist as Malala accused the handshake duo, Uhuru and Raila, of colluding to monopolize the oil sector. “Raila started speaking immediately when the Njeri saga came out. At the same time, Uhuru came out. When we were going into the elections, KSh 16.9 billion went missing. They changed the money to dollars and stuffed it in their companies outside Kenya. They then used it to order the oil; they were to divide the proceeds out of the sale,” said Malala.
In response, President William Ruto, speaking in Bomet, accused Raila Odinga of spreading lies about the government-to-government oil deal. “Prove that the G-to-G oil deal was a scam instead of spreading unfounded allegations,” challenged Ruto, emphasizing the legitimacy of the deal with support from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
President Ruto responds to #OmtatahWaJaba and Raila Odinga on oil matters as he calms the heckling in Sotik by a few congregants who heckled Davis Chirchir because of power issues in Bomet.The president responded to Uganda's president decision to sign a deal like the one Kenya… pic.twitter.com/XCWwHyS9fl
— Amakanji Thomas (@AmakanjiThomas) November 19, 2023
Amidst the political storm, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga urged President Ruto to designate the Secretary General position in the UDA party to a representative from the Mount Kenya region. Kahiga stressed the need to acknowledge the region’s strong support for Ruto in the last general election.
“The position of secretary general should be given back to Veronica Maina as she did a nice job and this will be a great reward to the people of Mount Kenya,” said Kahiga.
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As the UDA party faces internal discussions on its leadership structure, the unfolding oil scandal has become a battleground for political allegiances, with accusations flying from all sides.
