JKIA pump malfunction caused flight delays, says CS Wandayi

Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi (centre) during a tour of Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited in Mombasa, on September 26, 2024.  [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has denied that there is shortage of jet fuel as alleged by some of the local airlines Thursday.

According to Wandayi, there was a slight problem with the fuel pump valve at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) that occasioned some flight delays, but the problem was resolved within one and a half hours.

Thursday morning, several local flights at JKIA were delayed following a delayed maintenance of the fuel hydrants.

The CS said the country has enough and steady fuel supply to meet the demand with the current Government to Government (G2G) deal.

Wandayi spoke during his first ever visit at the Kenya Pipeline Refinery Limited (KPRL) and Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) facilities in Mombasa during his two-day tour at the Coast.

He said the government has no plans to revive the 45 KPRL oil refinery tanks at Changamwe that has a storage capacity of 484 million litres of petroleum oil.

The CS said the government will use the facility as a storage for imported  refined petroleum oil.

“We have no plans now or in the near future to start refinery business. From the economics, it is cheaper to import refined petroleum oil instead of importing crude oil. We have taken a strategic decision to import refined oil. We are to convert, especially the oil tanks from crude oil tanks to refined petroleum tanks,” said Wandayi.

He said the government is in its final stage to merge the Kenya Pipeline Corporation (KPC) and KPRL for efficient operations.

The CS said that Kenya is aiming at a very important market opening up in Rwanda even as they continue to serve Democratic Republic Congo DRC, Uganda and partly South Sudan.

“Amalgamating KPRL and KPC is a strategy to build capacity to handle all petroleum products in the the East Africa region,” he said.

He said that Kenya and Uganda are in the final funding model stages that will see the extension of petroleum pipeline to Uganda and Kigali.

During the tour, the CS directed all squatters living adjacent to KPRL facility in Kipevu and Portreiz to relocate.

“We have a problem at Kipevu oil storage and KPRL Portreiz where a five acres’ land has been invaded and illegally occupied by people. I’m committed to resolve it once and for all,” said Wandayi.

He said the continued stay around the KPRL facilities endangers the lives of squatters who have encroached the land.

“Their houses are just adjacent to the main pump. If anything was to happen, we would have a lot of casualties. Also, if anything was to happen from the village, we would incur irreparable damage as a country,” said Wandayi.

He said the court order issued by the court is yet to be implemented and asked the squatters and landlords to vacate peacefully.