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Mtetezi has raised concerns about the government’s plans to relax fuel quality standards, warning that the move could expose Kenyans to health risks and undermine regulatory systems.
The grassroots economic justice movement said on Saturday it was alarmed by policy discussions suggesting the possible admission of higher-sulphur fuel into the Kenyan market to prevent shortages.
“This move raises urgent concerns about public safety, regulatory integrity, and ministerial accountability,” the group said in a statement.
The lobby cited recent events in March, when a fuel consignment imported outside the Government-to-Government framework was rejected over high sulphur content, triggering the dismissal of senior officials in the energy sector.
“Yet, barely three weeks later, the same government is now considering allowing fuel of similar substandard characteristics into the Kenyan market,” Mtetezi said.
The group also referenced assurances made by Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi to Parliament in early April that the country had an adequate fuel supply and that quality standards remained intact.
“If Kenya had sufficient fuel as assured, what justifies the sudden policy shift toward accepting fuel previously deemed unsafe? Was Parliament and the country misled?” the statement posed.
Mtetezi further questioned whether the earlier dismissals of officials were justified if substandard fuel is now being reconsidered, and whether the March supply concerns were genuine.
