Rubis differs with gov't reports of CEO's deportation

Rubis Energies has denied reports that its Kenyan Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Jean-Christian Bergeron was deported. In a statement on Thursday, April 14, 202, the oil marketer refuted claims that the CEO had been deported, rather, had travelled to the company's headquarters in France to brief the board on the company's progress amid the ongoing fuel shortage crisis in Kenya. “We wish to clarify that the Group Managing Director, in consultation with the Rubies Energie Head Office, travelled to Paris to provide a full brief on the situation in Kenya,” the statement read in part. [caption id="attachment_17258" align="alignnone" width="979"] File image of Rubis Kenya Managing Director and CEO Jean-Christian Bergeron. |Photo| Courtesy|[/caption] This comes after reports emerged that Bergeron had been deported for economic sabotage over allegations creating the fuel shortage crisis in the country. While addressing the media on Thursday, Energy Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma did not confirm or deny the Rubis Kenya CEO's deportation.

“There is no update, the CEO of Rubis departed the country last night,” she told journalists.

The company further denied reports of hoarding fuel to hike prices. According to Rubis, the ongoing supply constraints are partly attributable to increased demand as it reports a 13.3 per cent growth in daily retail sales, month over month in April.

At the same time, the oil marketer says it has maintained a bias for local sales with the split of domestic to export sales at 88 and 12 per cent in April.