The Kenya government has accused the chief executive officer of oil marketer Rubis Energy of being behind the ongoing fuel shortage in the East African country.
With this accusation, the EAC nation has ordered the CEO Jean-Christian Bergeron to be deported out of Kenya to France.
The deportation order came after the Kenyan immigration office revoked Bergeron’s work permit over what was termed an “economic sabotage”
The measures came a day after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) stated that the oil marketing firms were selling fuel that was meant for the Kenyan market outside the country.
In the sanctions to be issued, four oil marketing companies are said to face punitive measures including reducing the capacity that they import into the country.
Additionally, the Kenyan government is said to have set plans in motion to strengthen the capacity of national oil to avert such a crisis in future, and also to have a bigger role in the fuel retail business.
The sanctions come as Kenyans continue to suffer whilst looking for fuel. The long queues leading to petrol stations splilt over to major highways as Kenyans sought to get some fuel into their tanks.
Hundreds of vehicles lined the roads to see what little fuel they could get, with many of the fuel stations limiting motorists to only buying fuel not exceeding Ksh.1, 000. (Estimated at Rwf 8,808).
The situation replicated across the country with some riders opting to cross the border to Uganda and Tanzania to get fuel.
Photos on social media have been circulating on how boda boda riders are camped at fuel stations waiting for the fuel to come so that they can resume business.
