Police officers drawn from Sosiot Police Station in Uasin Gishu County on Sunday, June 4, exposed a syndicate selling cheap adulterated petrol to the public.
The officers acting on a tip-off raided a semi-permanent house where the fuel was stored.
Although the owner of the house got a whiff of the impending police raid and fled, officers were able to confiscate the cheap petrol.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found out the suspect, who is at large, had a fully functional petrol station inside the house.
“We got information from a whistleblower about the illegal operation, and police officers swung into action.
“At the scene, it was found that the suspect had pump stations and 22 drums of 200 litres each,” a statement from the police read in part.
The fuel, which was 4,400 litres, was estimated to be worth millions in the black market.
Currently, a litre of petrol is retailing at Ksh182, making the confiscated fuel worth Ksh800,800 at current market value.
It is estimated that the suspect minted millions as he had done the operation for an unspecified period.
Police officers stated that they tracking down the suspect and his accomplices.
The Petroleum Outlets Association of Kenya (POAK) recently decried the low uptake of fuel by Kenyans.
On Wednesday, May 31, POAK remarked that fuel product uptake had significantly reduced by 25 to 30 per cent, with Kenyans rushing to the black market for cheaper options.
“It is interesting because even the sale of diesel is down," the association noted.
An investigation by Kenyans.co.ke further revealed that some motorists were modifying their cars to use Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to save on fuel.
