Edwin Sifuna
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has raised an alarm over the Turkana Oil Field Development Plan (FDP) currently under consideration by Parliament.
In a statement on Monday, December 29, Sifuna urged Kenyans to thoroughly scrutinise the deal, which he described as “the biggest scandal” under President William Ruto’s administration.
“Parliament has invited your views on the Turkana Oil FDP that we are considering currently. You should pay attention because this is Ruto’s biggest scandal yet,” said Sifuna.
The ODM Secretary General highlighted a series of alarming developments surrounding the project, which is set to be managed by Gulf Energy, formerly Tullow Oil.
He noted that the ownership of the company has changed names and hands multiple times in just a matter of weeks, a move he said could be indicative of attempts to mask the real beneficiaries.
“The ownership of the Company that is to produce the oil (Gulf Energy, formerly Tullow) changed names and hands multiple times in a matter of weeks. Days even. Your lawyer will tell you that’s symptomatic of attempts to mask real ownership. It is telling that the current FDP was approved by the government days after the last ownership changes,” Sifuna stated.
Sifuna also flagged major amendments to the production contract, including a significant increase in the maximum recoverable cost for petroleum production from 55% to 85% on November 25, 2025, shortly after the ownership transitions.
The Nairobi Senator warned that such changes could severely limit the financial benefits Kenyans derive from their own oil resources.
Sifuna also pointed out an amendment that was made on a clause of the agreement, which expanded the definition of capital expenditure to accommodate labour, fuel, repairs, maintenance, hauling, mobilisation, supplies, materials, and even decommissioning costs.
Further, he accused the government of undermining the Local Content Act, which was passed to ensure oil companies prioritise locally available labour, goods, and services, by exempting the Gulf.
“They have cleverly made the current agreement with the Gulf exempt from such legislation. We don’t have leaders. We have dealers in government who don’t care about anything other than themselves,” added Sifuna.
