One Petroleum Limited has disclosed details of its engagements with government officials regarding the controversial MT Paloma fuel shipment at the centre of Kenya’s Ksh4.8 billion petroleum import scandal.
In a statement released on April 29, the company said the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum convened an industry meeting on March 18, 2026, to assess national petroleum reserves, where concerns were raised over the need to strengthen operational fuel stocks.
According to One Petroleum, the ministry later invited bids on March 19 for the emergency supply of between 35,000 and 85,000 metric tonnes of petroleum products.
The company stated that amid heightened global demand triggered by tensions in the Middle East, it secured a cargo owned by BP that had originally been earmarked for Angola. Owing to the vessel’s proximity to Kenya, the consignment could reportedly be delivered within three days.
One Petroleum said it submitted the fuel specifications to the government before the shipment was approved. It added that the Ministry of Trade later granted a waiver after confirming the product complied with standards used in several Southern African countries and had previously met Kenyan regulatory requirements.
The firm further argued that fuel commingling and the importation of off-spec products are accepted practices within the global petroleum trade and have occurred before in Kenya.
According to the supplier, by April 7, about 20 percent of the cargo had already been paid for and collected by oil marketing firms selected by the ministry before a later policy directive altered the government’s position.
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Despite suffering financial losses, the company said it withdrew invoices tied to products intended for local distribution, even though it was under no legal obligation to do so.
“We have at all times fully cooperated with all government authorities and investigators,” the company stated.
One Petroleum Says It Responded to Government Emergency Tender
Earlier, One Petroleum confirmed it was among four firms that successfully bid for an emergency fuel supply tender issued by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum in March 2026.
In a statement dated April 7, the company said the procurement exercise was conducted following consultations with the Kenyan government.
The supplier also maintained that measures had been taken to prevent fuel delivered aboard the MT Paloma on March 27, 2026, from entering the Kenyan market.
The clarification formed part of the company’s broader response concerning the handling and fate of the disputed petroleum cargo.
The MT Paloma Controversy
The Marshall Islands-flagged MT Paloma tanker had travelled from Mombasa towards Port Elizabeth after discharging a substantial fuel consignment in Kenya.
The vessel became embroiled in a Ksh4.8 billion scandal involving the alleged importation of nearly 68,000 tonnes of petroleum products between March 27 and 29, 2026.
Investigations into the matter have already triggered the resignation of three senior officials within Kenya’s petroleum sector, with authorities continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the shipment.
