A new twist has emerged in the Ksh 1.7 billion edible oil scandal after revelations that Members of Parliament quietly approved the controversial budgetary allocation in a mini-budget, raising concerns that key investigations may have stalled.
At the center of the storm is former Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) Managing Director Pamela Mutua, who, alongside Supply Chain Manager Juma Sikuku, was charged with mismanagement of public funds.
Former KNTC boss Pamela Mutua during a past media presser. Photo: Nation Source: Facebook
However, many are now questioning whether Mutua and Sikuku were merely scapegoats, shielding bigger players who orchestrated the scandal.
Court proceedings have revealed that well-connected suppliers lobbied State House to expedite payments worth billions for questionable deals.
The suppliers, who imported large quantities of edible oil and rice under a duty-free program, allegedly used their influence to secure payment even as investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) hit a dead end.
The duty-free importation scheme, launched in January 2023, was meant to lower consumer prices amid a cost-of-living crisis.
Instead, it turned into a multi-billion-shilling scam, with reports that some of the imported edible oil was of poor quality and could not find buyers.
President William Ruto initially ordered investigations into the financial dealings of government officials linked to the scandal.
However, with the recent approval of a Ksh 1.7 billion budget allocation to KNTC, critics argue that powerful individuals may be trying to cover up their tracks.
Questions remain on why Parliament would approve such a huge payout when investigations were still ongoing.
The secretive nature of the single-source tendering process that awarded the lucrative deals to government-linked individuals has fueled suspicions of corruption at the highest levels.
With Mutua and Sikuku already facing prosecution, analysts believe bigger names should also be held accountable.
The sudden budget approval raises fears that the case could be quietly buried, protecting the real masterminds of the scandal while taxpayers foot the bill.
