Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has accused the government of quietly pushing shady deals linked to the Turkana Oil project. This shady deal, he says, is bound to be Ruto’s “biggest scandal yet.”
In a public statement, the ODM senator said the process behind the approval of the project is in itself a redflag. He claimed key decisions were made behind closed doors and without proper transparency.
Sifuna questioned the ownership of Gulf Energy, the company set to produce the oil. He said the company’s ownership changed names and hands several times within a very short period. According to him, such changes are often used to hide the real owners of a company.
He alleged that the government approved the Field Development Plan only days after the final ownership changes. In his view, this happened too fast and without clear disclosure of who stands to benefit.
The senator also raised concerns about changes made to the production sharing contract. He claimed that on November 25, 2025, the contract was amended to increase the company’s recoverable costs from 55% to 85% of oil production.
Sifuna warned that this change allows the company to take a much larger share of the oil revenue before Kenya gets anything. He said this could leave the country with very little benefit from its own resources.
He further claimed that the contract was adjusted to allow more expenses to be counted as recoverable costs. These include labour, fuel, repairs, and transport. According to Sifuna, this means almost all revenue could be absorbed as costs.
The senator also questioned why the agreement appears to avoid the Local Content law, which was passed to ensure Kenyans benefit through jobs and local supplies.
His remarks come as the Senate invites the public to give views on the Turkana Oil project. The Energy Committee has opened a window for Kenyans to review and comment on the Field Development Plan and production contracts.
Turkana Oil is expected to mark Kenya’s first major step into commercial oil production. But Sifuna’s claims have sparked fresh debate about transparency, accountability, and whether ordinary Kenyans will truly benefit from the project.
By Vivian K.