Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has raised concerns over the handling of his request for information on the proposed Lamu oil refinery, claiming the matter was blocked from reaching the Senate floor.
Sifuna submitted the request on October 2, 2026, seeking a statement from the Senate Standing Committee on Energy on the planned construction of the refinery in Lamu County.
The senator wanted the committee to provide detailed records on the project, including information on public participation, financing arrangements and the model that would be used to implement the refinery.
He also sought details on the amount of money Kenyan taxpayers would be required to contribute towards the project, as well as any value-for-money assessments conducted before its implementation.
Sifuna further asked for information on the beneficial owners of companies involved in the project, saying Kenyans should be able to establish who stands to benefit from a major State-backed investment.
According to the senator, a project of such scale should be subjected to the constitutional requirements on transparency, accountability, public participation, sustainable development and responsible management of public finances.
The request comes as questions continue to emerge around major government-backed projects and the use of public resources. Sifuna said Parliament should have access to relevant documents to allow lawmakers to properly scrutinise projects that could have significant financial implications for the country.
However, on Wednesday, October 7, Sifuna claimed that his request had not received approval to proceed to the Senate floor.
The Nairobi senator accused government allies in Parliament of frustrating efforts by lawmakers to obtain information concerning major State projects.
“The reason Ruto speaks confidently in rallies telling us to use ‘formal channels’ to get documents held by the state is he knows his gatekeepers in Parliament will never approve this business to make it to the floor,” Sifuna said.
He said his request concerning the Lamu refinery had suffered the same fate, linking the matter to the broader political debate ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“This one on the Lamu Refinery has suffered the same fate. We must uproot this entire system in 2027 to rescue our country,” he added.
The senator’s remarks amount to an allegation about how his request was handled within Parliament. The document shows that the request was received by the Senate on October 2, but it does not establish the reason it did not proceed to the floor.
The proposed refinery is therefore likely to remain under scrutiny as questions over its financing, implementation and ownership continue to attract political attention.
