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Illicit trade in petroleum products is a serious national security threat and new measures need to be established to curb the trade.

Internal Security and National Administration Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo yesterday warned that illegal petroleum facilities, dumping of export petroleum products, adulteration of petroleum products and siphoning of petroleum products on the highways were emerging security threats.

“The sector continues to harbour rogue business people while some elements within the law and enforcement agencies have been compromised thus the need to enhance intelligence-led enforcement, harden prosecution measures and capacity building across enforcement agencies,” the PS said.

Safety concerns

As a result, there is need to protect critical energy infrastructure such as petroleum pipelines and storage facilities from natural disasters, terrorist and cyber-attacks, or sabotage for overall national safety and security.

“Access to reliable, quality petroleum products is deeply intertwined with national security as it influences security operations both in terms of fuel for vehicles and aircraft as well as power for police stations and communication systems, especially in far flung and hard to reach areas not yet connected to the national grid,” the PS said.

The PS was speaking during the State of the Petroleum and Oil Industry briefing for the first quarter of 2024 organised by the Petroleum Institute of East Africa (PIEA).

PS Omollo said the inability to trace the movement of petroleum products presents serious safety concerns to consumers and the public at large and there was an urgent need to deploy advanced technology for monitoring and surveillance of the supply chain to help in early detection of illicit activities.

“Rogue business people are ever changing their tactics and now leveraging technology to extend their territorial reach. We should not be left behind,” the PS said.

Illegal facilities

He also urged the petroleum sector to take advantage of National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) as coordinators of regular inspections and surveillance exercises at the county levels owing to their reach.

Omollo also said the legal frameworks to impose stricter penalties on those involved in the illicit trade should also be updated and strengthened. “This should also include government officials found to have approved illegal facilities or turned a blind eye through corruption to unlicensed facilities and vehicles transporting petroleum products without valid permits,” he said.