Nairobi — One Petroleum Ltd has shifted blame to the government over the condemned MT Paloma fuel consignment, saying it acted on instructions from the Ministry of Energy to supply emergency petroleum cargo.

In a statement, the firm said it was among suppliers invited to bid for between 35,000 and 85,000 metric tonnes of fuel to address low national reserves.

"The Ministry wrote to us and other suppliers requesting bids for an emergency cargo... We disclosed the specifications of the product and secured the necessary waiver before supply," the company said.

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The consignment has since sparked a major scandal after part of the shipment was flagged as off-spec, raising concerns over fuel quality and procurement processes.

The fallout has already seen senior officials exit office, including Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director Joe Sang and Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority Director General Daniel Kiptoo.

One Petroleum said the cargo was sourced from a shipment linked to BP that had initially been destined for Angola, citing supply disruptions tied to the ongoing Middle East conflict.

However, the MT Paloma cargo has come under scrutiny after regulators flagged quality concerns, prompting public outcry and investigations into whether proper standards were followed.

The firm maintains the fuel met specifications accepted in several Southern African markets and complied with Kenyan standards in place before recent regulatory changes.

The controversy has intensified oversight of emergency fuel procurement, with investigators examining whether claims of low fuel stocks were used to justify high-cost imports outside Kenya's government-to-government fuel supply framework.

The unfolding scandal has raised broader concerns around transparency, regulatory oversight and consumer protection in Kenya's energy sector, a critical pillar for inflation and economic stability.