Mohamed
Sheikh, a motorist, speaks to the press/ STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Garissa county commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo leads security
officers into one of the structures where the illegal petrol is sold in
Burburis, Garissa/ STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Garissa county commissioner, Mohamed Mwabudzo and county police commander Amos Ambasa in one of the structures where the
illegal petrol is sold in Burburis, Garissa/ STEPHEN ASTARIKOThe government has issued a stern warning to traders in Garissa involved in illegal petrol trade that tough action will be taken against them.
County commissioner Mohamed
Mwabudzo spoke to the press after leading a multi-agency security team in
Garissa town in a crackdown targeting
unscrupulous businessmen accused of selling the product illegally.
“I want to issue a stern warning to all those involved in
this illegal business that, as the government, we will not entertain such. Anyone
arrested will face the full force of the law. They can run, but they cannot
hide,” the county commissioner said.
The team stormed two makeshift fueling points in Burburis
in the outskirts of Garissa town, believed to be selling the illicit fuel.
However, no arrests were made. Officials only recovered empty 20-litre
jerricans at the sites.
He warned that the fuel being sold was unsafe, as it had not
undergone the proper quality and safety checks before being released
to the market.
“We want to warn all those who are using or have used this
petrol to fuel their vehicles that the fuel is not okay. It can, among other
things, lead to engine knock or in the worst-case scenario, endanger the lives
of those in the vehicle,” Mwabudzo cautioned.
When journalists visited one of the sites earlier in the
day, several vehicles, motorcycles, and tuk-tuks were lined up to be
fueled. Unlike licensed petrol stations where a litre retails at about Sh189,
the illegal product was being sold for as low as Sh100.
Mwabudzo condemned the operators for conducting the business
within residential areas and in some cases near hospitals, saying this exposed
the public to grave safety risks.
He further revealed that preliminary investigations show the
fuel is being smuggled into the county through Hagadera in Fafi subcounty,
after which the traders arrange for its transportation and distribution within
Garissa town.
He assured the public that security agencies will intensify
surveillance and take firm action against those behind the illegal trade.
Mohamud Maulid , the chairman of the Garissa Petroleum Sector Association, called on the
government to intensify its crackdown on unscrupulous traders
dealing in illegal petrol, saying such activities are negatively affecting
their businesses.
He expressed concern that the influx of illicit fuel on the
market is undermining genuine operators who have invested heavily in complying
with all government regulations.
“We have followed every procedure that the government has
put in place. We pay our taxes, meet safety standards, and operate
transparently. But we are losing customers to illegal fuel dealers who sell
their products cheaply because they evade all these requirements,” Maulid said.
However, a section of motorists interviewed protested the
government’s move to crack down on the traders, saying that their action was ill-advised.
“What these traders were doing was offering us affordable
fuel. We have been using this fuel all along, and our vehicles are still
running perfectly fine,” said Mohamed Sheikh, a motorist.
He urged the government to lower taxes on petrol, saying
that high taxation was the main reason fuel prices continue to rise.
He said that reducing the tax burden would make legitimate fuel more affordable and reduce the incentive to seek cheaper alternatives.
