Kenya to deport Rubis CEO amid fuel crisis - local media

Rubis SCA

13/04/2022 20:31

NAIROBI, April 13 (Reuters) - Kenya plans to deport the CEO
of fuel storage and distribution company Rubis Energy Kenya over
a fuel crisis, The Daily Nation newspaper reported on Wednesday,
citing senior government sources who said the state signed a
deportation order.
    The government has cancelled the work permit of
Jean-Christian Bergeron, who has led the company for three
years, the Nation said.
    Bergeron did not respond to requests by Reuters for comment
and Rubis Energie's offices in France were closed. Reuters
reached out to the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of
National Government, which is charged with immigration, but it
had closed by the time of publishing this report.
    Kenya's fuel crisis that has led to long queues at service
stations has put pressure on government officials to clamp down
on rising domestic prices.
    Rubis Energy Kenya is owned by Rubis Energie, a subsidiary
of the Rubis Group  RUBF.PA  which is listed on the Paris Stock
Exchange, following the full acquisition of both KenolKobil and
Gulf Energy Holdings in 2019. 
    Andrew Kamau, Principal Secretary at Kenya's ministry of
petroleum and mining did not answer his phone when Reuters tried
to reach him.
    Quoting senior government sources, The Nation said Rubis was
among several fuel distributors accused of "having some queer
shortages and rationed sales."
    On Tuesday, the Energy and Petroleum regulatory Authority
(EPRA) said it would crack down on fuel companies "giving
priority to export loadings while the local market was left to
suffer intermittent supply."
    Kenya's government last week said it would pay subsidy
arrears to petrol retailers to allay fears of potential fuel
shortages and forestall a crisis. Frustrated motorists have been
queuing in long lines at petrol stations for days due to the
biting shortages.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2W20SB

 (Reporting by Humphrey Malalo
Writing by Hereward Holland
Editing by James Macharia Chege and Aurora Ellis)
 ((hereward.holland@thomsonreuters.com; +254 20 499 1232;
Reuters Messaging:
hereward.holland.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))