The High Court in Kenya sitting in Machakos has issued a conservatory order stopping the issuance of an Oil Importation Certificate to the Uganda National Oil Company, UNOC.
The order dated November 7, 2023 and issued by The Deputy Registrar of the Machakos court was follows a petition by three parties including Royani Energy Limited, John Kinuthia Mwangi and Acacia Ridge Construction as interested parties, and orders the Director General of Kenya Energy and Petroleum Authority not to issue the license to UNOC.
Other respondents in the matter are the Kenya Cabinet Secretary for Energy and the Attorney General of Kenya.
The matter registered No. E014 of 2023 and certified urgent by the Human Right Division of the court, quotes 17 Articles of the constitution of Kenya, 4 Rules of the CoK in respect to the protection of Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Practice and Procedures 2013, and their violation of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms under Articles 27, 37, 40, 46 and 153.
The terse order that threatens to have those disobeying it for not more the 6 months, follows the granting of a sole supplier to oil giant broker Vitol, to supply oil products to UNOC, and orders the petitioners to serve the respondents within 72 hours, while also giving the respondents 10 days to file their responses.
The matter will be heard and determined on December 6, 2023.
It is important to note that recently the Uganda government sought the services of Vitol, to be the sole supplier of oil products to UNOC.
This has seemingly rubbed some interested parties the wrong way, with some hitherto players saying the move might disrupt the oil supply chain, while others talk of regional cooperation setbacks.
