Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has claimed that a request he filed seeking disclosure of key details about the proposed Lamu oil refinery has failed to reach the Senate floor.

Sifuna submitted the request on October 2, 2026, seeking a statement from the Senate Standing Committee on Energy on the proposed construction of the refinery in Lamu County. The request was formally received by the Senate on the same day. (Citizen)

He wants the committee to compel the production of records relating to the project, including details of public participation, its financing and implementation model, the amount of money Kenyan taxpayers may be required to contribute, value-for-money assessments and the beneficial owners of companies involved in the project.

Sifuna argued that a project of such scale should comply with constitutional requirements on transparency, accountability, public participation, sustainable development and the management of public finances. (Nairobileo)

Sifuna accuses Parliament of blocking request

On Wednesday, October 7, Sifuna claimed that his request had not secured approval to proceed to the Senate floor.

He accused government allies in Parliament of frustrating attempts to obtain information on major State-backed projects.

“The reason Ruto speaks confidently in rallies telling us to use ‘formal channels’ to get documents held by the state is he knows his gatekeepers in Parliament will never approve this business to make it to the floor,” Sifuna said.

“This one on the Lamu Refinery has suffered the same fate. We must uproot this entire system in 2027 to rescue our country,” he added. (Citizen)

His remarks are an allegation about how the request was handled within Parliament. The Senate document confirms that the request was received on October 2, but does not establish why it had not proceeded to the floor. (Citizen)

What Sifuna wants disclosed

Under his request, Sifuna wants information on the refinery’s financing and implementation model, public participation process, government or taxpayer investment, value-for-money assessments and the beneficial ownership of the project and companies involved.

He also wants records relating to the project’s approval and other documentation that could clarify Kenya’s commitments to the proposed refinery. (Kenyans)

The proposed refinery has attracted increased scrutiny following its September 30 groundbreaking ceremony, while separate legal proceedings have also raised questions around land associated with the project. (Reuters)

The Senate Standing Committee on Energy, chaired by Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator William Kisang, had not formally presented the statement on the Senate floor at the time of the reports. (capitalfm.africa)