Missing Oil Tycoon Ann Njoroge Found in Mombasa

2 Days of Horror: Oil Billionaire Ann Njeri Reveals Details of Her Disappearance

Oil tycoon Ann Njeri Njoroge, the woman involved in the controversial Ksh17 billion oil consignment, narrated her ordeal, which unfolded shortly after recording a statement at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters.

While addressing journalists outside the High Court in Mombasa on Tuesday, Njoroge disclosed that she was dumped in a forest after the abductors absolved her of any accusations levelled against her.

Her plight, she alleged, began moments after she applied for permits at the Energy Petroleum and Regulatory Authority (EPRA) as part of the due procedure for importing the 100,000 metric tonnes of oil.

However, her consignment was held at the Mombasa Port by the authorities, occasioning her to seek assistance from Energy CS Davis Chirchir. Chirchir, on Monday, concurred with Njoroge, stating that he directed her to file a report at the DCI headquarters.


Missing oil tycoon Ann Njoroge alongside her lawyer, Cliff Ombeta in Mombasa County on November 14, 2023.

“I applied at EPRA, paid according to the law and been waiting to receive a permit. As I waited, I went to visit CS Chirchir who told me that the oil didn’t belong to me but to Galana Energies Limited. I told him that I had not sold it to anyone or signed anything with Galana Energies Limited hence it’s mine. He told me it’s not possible and directed me to report to the DCI,” she stated.

Moments later, she caught herself in a web of what she argued was a well-choreographed abduction. Njoroge was allegedly directed to record a statement in another adjacent room, only to find that it was a basement.

“The officers asked me if I had taken any drugs, and I said no. When they took me to a car, I was told to surrender my phone and give out the password, and I complied. They took me to an unknown place. I asked why I was separated from my lawyers, but they didn’t respond.”

The missing businesswoman narrated that she kept pleading with her abductors to release her, but they dismissed her prayers. Owing to the fear of losing her life, she began crying and begging them to spare her life.

“When we arrived at an unknown location at night, I pleaded with them not to kill me, as my family was depending on me. They assured me that nothing would happen,” she added.

Shortly after, another car allegedly arrived, and Njoroge was blindfolded before being ferried to another location. Here, she was chained to a room, and a balaclava was placed over her head, sparing her eyes only.

Njoroge claimed that she realized she was highly guarded by security guards who were dressed in full uniform. Inside the room also was a mattress and a CCTV camera.

According to Njoroge, she slept that night thinking it would be her last day. The following day, her abductors opened the room and began questioning her but also threatened to kill her lest she disclosed the truth behind the consignment.

“I told them the truth that I was the owner of the consignment. The officers departed from the room and came back hours later, informing me that they would release me since I had done no wrong. I was blindfolded and thrown out into a forest,” she stated but did not reveal the exact location.

Her lawyer Cliff Ombeta accused the government of orchestrating Njoroge’s abduction and suspected that unscrupulous power brokers wanted a stake in the Ksh17 billion oil consignment.

"She was also threatened to return the other four consignments she was to bring. The court had ordered the ship to be detained, but it was discharged. The ship’s captain also confirmed that he was threatened over the matter, with the people accusing him of colluding with Ann.

“What kind of law is this? If the government itself is corrupt, then how can we operate? She has retrieved oil consignments on many occasions, so why is it a problem now?” Ombeta wondered.

Njoroge was captured alongside her lawyer, Cliff Ombeta, who confirmed her whereabouts.

The duo was captured walking into the Mombasa Law Courts minutes past noon.

Details of where she was for the past six days are yet to be known.

The oil tycoon who is embroiled in a Ksh17 billion oil importation saga was reported missing last week after visiting the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters on Kiambu Road.

According to reports, Njoroge had been directed to record a statement with authorities by Energy Davis Chirchir after claiming ownership of diesel worth Ksh17 billion imported into the country.

Ombeta had claimed that she was then taken to an unknown location by the police.

DCI is yet to respond to the allegations.

However, according to Chirchir, the consignment was imported by another company. The Cabinet Secretary stated that the government would work with various agencies to establish the owner of the consignment.

“The consignment was brought in by a company called Galana and it has been discharged. So, we want to know the truth but the case is in court at the moment,” the CS stated during a tree-planting exercise in Baringo County on Monday.

On the other hand, the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) flagged documents indicating the businesswoman as the owner of the consignment as fake.

The oil had been imported from Saudi Arabia on 26th September and landed in Mombasa on September 30, 2023.

‘‘The consignees and their respective portions of the bulk cargo are listed in the Manifest submitted by the Ship’s Agent and KPA confirms that the businesswoman’s Import and Export Enterprises Limited is not one of the manifested consignees,’’ KPA stated.

Francis Kagema
I don’t think anyone would be crazy enough to claim a 17B consignment which is not hers. Chirchir and that galana oil have evil intentions. Robbery is happening as we watch. This is a gangster republic

Kogo Franklin
She planted hers mapema …but I guess the lady is under immense pressure

Complete interview

How Fuel Importers Like GALANA Evade Taxes in Govt to Govt Oil Deals

Azimio Principal Raila Odinga claims that the government-to-government oil deal that President Wiliam Ruto signed with Saudi companies was corrupt.

In his dossier, the Azimio premier accused Ruto of disguising the deal as a government project to help Kenyan Companies, Gulf Energy, Galana Oil Kenya Ltd, and Oryx Energies Kenya Limited, evade taxes.

'‘We now know that the characterization of this deal as G-to-G was meant to shield the three Kenyan companies from paying 30 percent corporate tax,’" the former Prime Minister stated while addressing the media.

According to Raila, the companies contracted in the oil deals bought the product and sold it at an inflated price.

‘‘This shady business model is being deployed by all the companies retained in the Ruto deal. They buy at low prices, delay in discharging, then ask to be allowed to offload at higher prices, and the cost is passed to consumers,’’ Raila alleged.

The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum was also alleged to have changed billing months to allow the oil companies to quote higher prices.

Further, the importing companies delayed the delivery and offloading dates to maximize prices which he termed as inflated. Kenyans, in the end, bore the brunt of the deal as they purchased fuel at exorbitant prices.

Raila also attributed the deal as the main cause of a diplomatic tiff and broken trade agreements with neighbouring landlocked countries such as Uganda. The neighbouring country, which depended on Kenya for fuel imports, recently enacted a law barring Kenyan companies from importing oil on its behalf.

''It is shrouded in deep secrecy. To date, only two documents have been made public; that is the Master Framework Agreement with petroleum trading entities and the Open Tender System modified agreement with marketers," he further stated.

The formula used to nominate the three companies in the oil deal, according to Raila, was also questionable since it was shrouded in secrecy.

‘‘Nobody knows how Gulf Energy, Galana Oil Kenya Ltd, and Oryx Energies Kenya Limited got nominated to handle local logistics. But the hand-picked distributors are selling oil to us at almost twice the price from bulk suppliers,’’ Raila further claimed, accusing Ruto of corruption.

He thus demanded the government revert to an open tender system to give a fair chance to all suppliers and publish the details of the oil deal to prove innocence.

Early this year, the Kenyan government entered into an import agreement with the governments of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

In the deal, state-owned Oil companies were nominated to import fuel in what Ruto said was to help the shilling stabilize by weighing more options.

Here’s the G to G story,

https://twitter.com/BonfaceMwangi__/status/1725497614572098045?t=6146S5CHEgImABqwEimjmw&s=04&fbclid=IwAR2Ek3xnc_MFFkCKT_NXmFnWeifVrPmHj4KsDP3tO4ml4GqPX_adjngQOfc

https://twitter.com/i/status/1726195075690975724

The crowd shouted asking him to sit down.

The residents were angered by the frequent blackouts which have made it difficult to consistently carry out their operations.

When he took to the stage, President William Ruto assured the residents that the matter would be sorted.

The Head of State vowed to ensure all parts of the country have reliable power supply.