Leaders Warn Sale Of Kenya Pipeline Could Jeopardize Justice For Thange Oil Spill Victims

By Andrew Mbuva and Ryan Mumo 

Wiper Party Leader Dr. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka has cautioned that the planned sale of the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) by President William Ruto’s administration poses a grave threat to the ongoing fight for justice and compensation for victims of the 2015 Thange oil spill in Makueni County.

Speaking on Sunday during a visit to Thange alongside Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior and Senator Daniel Kitonga Maanzo, Kalonzo strongly opposed the government’s reported move to privatize the state-owned oil transporter, warning that such a sale would compromise accountability and deny residents their rightful compensation.

“This is a disaster caused by Kenya Pipeline — a parastatal that President Ruto now wants to sell off. We strongly disagree with that move,” said Kalonzo. “Whoever is planning to buy Kenya Pipeline should know that when we get into power, we will cancel that transaction.”

The Wiper leader argued that the company remains one of Kenya’s most profitable and strategic public assets, adding that it should be preserved in the national interest. “Kenya Pipeline is not Ruto’s property — it belongs to the people of Kenya,” he emphasized. “This is a parastatal that generates huge revenue for the country, and selling it is a betrayal of public trust.”

He accused the government of manipulating Parliament to push through policies that benefit a few individuals at the expense of citizens, vowing to resist what he termed as “economic oppression by the Ruto administration.”

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior described the Thange oil spill as a historic injustice, saying corruption and negligence by government agencies have frustrated efforts to clean up the polluted area and compensate affected families.

“The Thange oil spill happened in 2015, but to date, justice remains elusive,” said Mutula. “NEMA officials once wrote a report in 2018 claiming Thange River was clean, yet when we tested soil samples years later, it was like standing in a petrol station. The area remains highly contaminated.”

Mutula warned that selling the Kenya Pipeline Company would complicate compensation efforts, as any new private owner could deny responsibility for pending liabilities. “If Kenya Pipeline is sold, the buyer will simply say there was no disclosure of liability — meaning the Thange victims will be forgotten,” he said.

The governor also noted that the KSh 3 billion compensation proposed for victims was inadequate given the scale of the disaster. “The affected area spans up to four kilometers, yet only about 2,000 people have been compensated. That money is just a drop in the ocean,” he stated.

Senator Daniel Maanzo, who has been championing the victims’ cause in the Senate, decried the slow pace of medical testing and compensation. “According to statistics, over 19,000 people were affected, but only 4,000 have undergone medical tests. This is unacceptable,” Maanzo said.

He revealed that the matter is still before the courts and vowed to take it to Parliament for budgetary consideration once the legal process concludes. “We have also moved to court to stop the sale of Kenya Pipeline until the victims of Thange receive full compensation,” he added.

The leaders called on President Ruto to prioritize justice and environmental restoration before considering any privatization of the Kenya Pipeline Company.

“Let the government know that selling off Kenya Pipeline is not only reckless but also a direct assault on justice for the people of Thange,” Kalonzo declared. “We will fight until we win — Kenya belongs to all of us.”