The Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) has foiled an attempted fuel theft in Mombasa County after its security and maintenance teams discovered an illegal connection on one of its petroleum transportation lines.
The illegal connection was detected on Monday, November 2, during routine surveillance and inspection activities conducted by the company’s security and pipeline maintenance officers.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 3, KPC said the connection had been installed on a pipeline linking Pumping Station 14 to Pumping Station 15 in Mombasa County.
The company explained that its emergency and incident response teams acted swiftly after identifying the suspicious connection, securing the site before any petroleum products could be siphoned.
“The Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) confirms that its emergency and incident response teams in Mombasa County have successfully foiled an attempt to siphon petroleum products using an illegal connection on a line connecting two delivery pumping stations,” the company stated.
KPC further revealed that the discovery was made through routine monitoring operations, which enabled its officers to trace the illegal connection and prevent the suspected criminals from accessing the fuel.
Following the discovery, the company’s security officers secured the affected section before reporting the incident to Chaani Police Station, where investigations into the attempted theft have commenced.
KPC General Manager Dinah Kirwa confirmed that the company’s monitoring teams detected and secured the illegal connection before any fuel was stolen.
Kirwa commended the officers for their swift response, maintaining that the attempted theft did not result in any loss of petroleum products.
“Our gallant officers have successfully managed to foil a criminal act which is currently under investigation by the relevant authorities,” she said.
She added that the company’s security and pipeline monitoring teams acted promptly after detecting the illegal connection, preventing any petroleum products from being lost.
Police have since taken up the matter to establish the circumstances surrounding the attempted theft and identify those responsible for installing the illegal connection.
Investigators are also expected to establish whether the incident involved any individuals working at the affected pumping stations or other persons familiar with the company’s pipeline infrastructure.
However, no individuals have been publicly linked to the incident so far.
The incident comes at a time when concerns over fuel supply and rising petroleum prices have continued to attract attention across the country.
On October 14, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) announced an increase in fuel prices for the October-November pricing cycle, raising the cost of all three major petroleum products.
Under the revised prices, petrol increased by Ksh12.93 per litre, diesel by Ksh9.90, while kerosene recorded the highest increase of Ksh28.49 per litre.
The adjustments pushed the retail prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene to Ksh226.96, Ksh227.76 and Ksh219.87 per litre respectively.
The prices were scheduled to remain in effect until November 14.The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum attributed the increase to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, which have disrupted global petroleum supply chains and contributed to rising import costs.
The attempted theft in Mombasa has therefore drawn attention to the security of critical fuel infrastructure, particularly at a time when petroleum prices remain high and the country continues to rely on stable fuel supplies to support economic activities.
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