Sifuna Accuses Ruto of Selfish Interests in Turkana Oil FDP
He accused the government and the oil firm of deliberately exempting the Gulf Energy agreement from the law, undermining efforts to ensure communities benefit directly from the resource.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has launched a scathing attack on the government over the Turkana oil Final Development Plan (FDP), accusing President William Ruto of pursuing selfish interests at the expense of Kenyans.
In a strongly worded statement, Sifuna described Kenya as a “country of dealers, not leaders,” raising serious concerns over the ownership, contractual changes and legal exemptions surrounding the company set to produce oil in Turkana.
The senator questioned the credibility of Gulf Energy, formerly Tullow Oil, noting that the company’s ownership changed names and hands several times within a short period.
He said such rapid changes, occurring within weeks and even days, were suspicious and often used to conceal the real owners. Sifuna further pointed out that the current FDP was approved by the government only days after the final ownership changes, raising questions about transparency.
Sifuna also criticized repeated alterations to the original production contract, highlighting a major amendment made on November 25, 2025.
According to him, the amendment raised the maximum recoverable cost for petroleum production from 55 per cent to 85 per cent, a move he warned would significantly reduce the revenue Kenya earns from its oil resources.
“This effectively means Kenyans will never see any real benefit from that oil,” he said.
Further, the senator faulted amendments made on the same day to Clause 27(2)(b), which expanded the definition of capital expenditure to include labour, fuel, repairs, maintenance, hauling, mobilisation, supplies, materials and even decommissioning costs. He warned that the expanded cost recovery framework could allow the company to deduct nearly all expenses before sharing profits, leaving the country with little or nothing.
Sifuna also raised alarm over the exclusion of the Turkana oil project from the Local Content Act, legislation passed by the Senate to ensure oil companies prioritize local labour, supplies and services.
He accused the government and the oil firm of deliberately exempting the Gulf Energy agreement from the law, undermining efforts to ensure communities benefit directly from the resource.
