Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations is probing alleged manipulation of the country's petroleum import system, after fuel prices spiked to Ksh200 per litre. [1] The DCI said "abuses on the petroleum import systems" favored "preferred and politically connected oil marketers" who deliberately inflated prices during the Hormuz crisis. [2]

The scandal centers on an emergency fuel import deal worth Ksh4 billion that bypassed Kenya's regular procurement system. The DCI is investigating a tycoon-owned firm and a Swiss oil company over the irregular contract. [3] Several government officials have resigned as the probe widens.

The emergency deal was justified by the government as necessary to secure fuel supplies while global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted. But the imported fuel was purchased at prices "far exceeding" existing agreements, with questions surrounding the selection of suppliers. [4]

Kenya imports all of its refined petroleum products. The Hormuz closure pushed global oil prices higher, but the DCI's findings suggest that domestic manipulation — not just global markets — drove the Ksh200 spike. The difference between a global price increase and a rigged one is the difference between a crisis and a crime.

The DCI has engaged foreign agencies to expand the probe, suggesting the manipulation extends beyond Kenya's borders. Several suspects are set to be arraigned in court.

For Kenyans paying Ksh200 per litre — more than double the pre-crisis price — the distinction between war-driven and corruption-driven inflation is academic. The pump does not care why the number is high. It only demands payment.

-- LUCIA VEGA, São Paulo