Pump issues, not fuel shortage, caused JKIA flight delays – CS Wandayi

The government has dismissed reports of a potential shortage of jet fuel following flight delays experienced at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Thursday morning.

Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi said that the delays resulted from a minor issue with the fuel pumping system.

"There was indeed a small incident but that was resolved in less than one-and-a-half hours and flights resumed," he said.

The CS affirmed that there is no current or expected shortage of fuel in the country.

He attributed the delays to maintenance work on fuel hydrants which extended beyond the planned duration.

Under the government-to-government (G-to-G) arrangements, Wandayi assured that the issue of fuel shortages would not arise.

"We do not foresee a shortage of jet fuel or any kind of fuel in the foreseeable future under G-to-G deal," he said.

During a tour of the Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited (KPRL) in Mombasa, the CS outlined the government's plans to ensure a steady supply of fuel for both domestic and regional use.

Kenya currently supplies fuel to Uganda, with plans to soon extend services to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Rwanda.

Wandayi revealed that the government is in the process of merging KPRL with the Kenya Pipeline Corporation (KPC) to enhance efficiency in fuel distribution.

"We have taken a strategic decision to import refined oil," he said, explaining that the KPRL facility will serve as a storage site for imported refined petroleum oil.

the fuel supply incident at JKIA affected airlines such as Jambojet and Kenya Airways (KQ).

Jambojet apologised for any inconvenience caused, while KQ noted that the delays were due to maintenance work on the fuel hydrants.

CS Wandayi further stated that the government has no plans to revive the 45 KPRL oil refinery tanks in Changamwe, which have a storage capacity of 484 million litres.

"We have no plans now or in the near future to start a refinery business," Wandayi reiterated.