The Senate Standing Committee on Energy has launched a formal investigation into the controversial leasing of a 30,000-metric-tonne Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage facility in Mombasa to Nigerian company Asharami Synergy Ltd.
The move has sparked concern over the transparency and legality of the deal, especially since the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC), which was initially assigned to handle the project, was left out.
The facility, located on a 23-acre public land parcel in Changamwe, was meant to be a government-led initiative aimed at increasing clean energy access and lowering the cost of cooking gas for Kenyans.
But the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum’s decision to lease the land to Asharami Synergy, a subsidiary of Nigeria’s Sahara Group, for 31 years has drawn sharp criticism from politicians, experts, and residents.
Critics have raised key issues including the sidelining of KPC’s legal mandate, a non-transparent procurement process, and the lack of public participation.
The Auditor General also flagged a possible loss of Sh192.6 million in public funds already spent by KPC on feasibility studies and engineering plans.
Residents of Saragota in Changamwe have written to the Senate protesting the project.
They cite land injustices, environmental concerns, and failure by key government agencies such as the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to consult the public.
They are also worried about safety risks and unresolved questions about historical land ownership.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah presented the residents’ petition to the Senate.
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