2009 Triton Oil Scandal

The 2009 Triton Oil scandal involved the unauthorized release of oil by Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) without informing financiers. This oil scandal became public in January 2009.

The release of the oil occurred in 2008 when Triton Oil Company was allowed by KPC to withdraw oil amounting to KSh.7.6 billion/= or (US$98.7 million). The company collapsed shortly afterward, withdrawing the oil and selling it to the market.

Triton Oil was owned by Yagnesh Devani. Kenya has issued a warrant to arrest him, but as of January 2010 he was at large and believed to be in hiding abroad.

The UK government has reportedly extradited business tycoon Yagnesh Mohanlal Devani back to Kenya to face charges over a jet fuel fraud.

The fuel scam, often known as the Triton scandal, was allegedly made through Mr Devani’s company, Triton Petroleum Ltd, in 2008.

Authorities said that Kenya risked losing about $50m (£40m) in the scam.

The Kenyan government has been seeking to bring Mr Devani back to Kenya for years after he fled in the wake of the scandal.

He was last week "quietly" extradited from Britain, charged in a Nairobi court then freed on bond, Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper reports.

In May 2020, the Court of Appeal in the UK dismissed his application seeking asylum in the UK, effectively allowing his extradition to Kenya to face 19 charges of fraud.

The case will be mentioned on 12 February for pre-trial.