Saudi Aramco, Adnoc among firms that bid in Kenya’s oil-import deal

Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., and Emirates National Oil Co. are among the firms that bid to supply petroleum products to Kenya under the East African nation’s plan to nationalize oil imports, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The companies submitted bids following a tender issued by Kenya, according to the people who requested not to be identified because they are not authorized to publicly discuss the matter. The government hasn’t announced the winner yet, they said. 

President William Ruto’s administration is advancing a plan to take over fuel imports from private companies, as part of a strategy to ease pressure on the nation’s foreign reserves. Under the proposal, Kenya wants to defer payment to suppliers by at least six months as opposed to the current arrangement where approximately $500 million is required monthly to pay for cargo within a week of delivery. 

Mohamed Liban, principal secretary at Kenya’s state department for petroleum, did not respond to requests for comment on Monday. A representative from Saudi Aramco said by email that the company will respond to a request for comments, while the Dubai-based ENOC didn’t immediately reply. Adnoc said they don’t comment on commercial matters.