Petroleum Principal Secretary Andrew Kamau was on Wednesday afternoon humiliated by an angry crowd that booed him off at the Industrial Area fuel depot in Nairobi.
The PS attempts to calm striking petroleum distributors were met with hostility after he made a statement faulting them for the fuel shortage experienced in parts of the country.
According to the Nation, PS Kamau stated that the drivers had blocked roads to prevent the fuel from being distributed to petrol stations, a claim that the striking workers did not agree with.
It was at this point that the senior government official was forced to step down as the crowd booed him off.
He immediately left having not reached a consensus with the petroleum distributors whose actions had caused an artificial shortage of petrol in parts of the country.
As the meeting turned chaotic, the crowd chanted led by Kenya Long Distance Truck Drivers Union Secretary General Nicholas Mbugua, "Aende! (let him go!)"
Also present were representatives from the Matatu Transport Vehicle Association (MTVA).
Chairman of the association Benson Mwenda added his voice stating; "We have to stand with you. We are in this together. We have to stand together until Wanjiku's cry is heard."
Addressing the shortage earlier on Wednesday, the PS noted that the crisis in some parts of the country because independent transporters and dealers had barricaded the roads to the depot.
"They are claiming their decisions are to oppose the new VAT regime. But they must know that obstructing roads to the depot is economic sabotage and a crime," he stated.
PS Kamau called for patience, as the country waited for President Uhuru Kenyatta to return to the country and make a decision on the Finance Bill 2018.
"If the President signs the bill, ERC will readjust the fuel prices. If he declines to sign, the fuel prices will continue as they are. Maybe in one year or two years, if the country will have made enough money then the fuel prices can reduce," he explained.
