Racism, bribe-taking and slave-driving are now synonymous with Proto Energy, the makers of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) product ProGas.
Thanks to one man, Ali Abbas Jaffer.
Mr Abbas Jaffer is one of the sons of Mohamed Jaffer, the looter and polluter of the minds of our legislators through bribe-giving.
He is the big-cartel leader that runs his father’s empire like a spoilt brat. We can liken him to the bible story where King Rehoboam, the son of King Solomon had been asked what he will do with his kingship.
He answered, “Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’ ”
Abbas Jaffer is the poisoned chalice, the slave-driving master to the workers at Proto Energy and other Jaffer companies.
Many staff have been fired, and others have complained that their lives became difficult after the racist Abbas took over.
Abbas Ways
It is said that Abbas Jaffer has pocketed all the relevant government departments in the energy and security sectors.
Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) sings his praises, right from the board to the junior staff, when he walks in.
He has pocketed police departments and this he uses at his will to harass small-time gas retailers.
He is said to be in the habit of commanding police to arrest LPG retailers who are doing good so as to curtail competition and have ProGas stay or have its way in that particular market.
Abbas is the powerman who took over his father’s empire; which consists of One Petroleum Limited, Africa Gas and Oil Company Limited, One Gas Ltd and Grain Bulk Handling Limited. He runs them all.
The man who is fond of slay queens and all the debauched accessories they bring along, hates Kenyan workers with a vengeance.
The top positions at the companies are handled by people of different skin colour. Some are expatriates who have no business being in Kenya even as the immigration laws only allow that a job is given to ex-pats if there’s no Kenyan who has the knowledge to do it.
By running the day to day operations, Abbas Jaffer has found it fit to work alongside Jezebelic personalities like Amanda M Donahue, whose story and scorpion whip on staff can be read here.
Bribery
But how does Abbas Jaffer control and do all these things without getting into the nerves of authorities?
According to sources, a Mr Steve Mutiso is the bribe-giver.
Mr Mutiso’s work is to take bribes to places where he has been instructed by Abbas Jaffer.
Every state institution in the energy ministry has been pocketed, and Police departments and stations in areas where ProGas operates with impunity have been pocketed.
READ: Immigration department sitting on explosive exposé by staff of Proto Energy
There has been high staff turnover due to Abbas Jaffer’s character. Many of those staff have witnessed flouting of labour laws but cannot report this to the Ministry of Labor because Abbas has pocketed them and no action will be taken.
The inhuman nature of Abbas Jaffer and prejudice has put Proto Energy field staff in danger. There’s an incident that happened in Mlolongo where small gas retailers fought back almost killing Proto Energy staff who had gone to remove them from the gas business.
Where is justice?
Kenyans working in other LPG companies and those dealing in that business now ask where is the justice?
Kenya Revenue Authority has been seen to work on the tax issue of companies such as Keroche and Africa Spirits, yet a clear tax evader Proto Energy is left to its own whims.
In April 2021, KRA raided Mohamed Jaffer’s offices and carted away documents which showed that the companies were engaging in tax evasion totalling over Sh60 million.
“Through Mombasa Misc Application No. 314 of 2020, KRA obtained search orders … It proceeded to conduct a search and seizure operation, and the preliminary analysis of the recoveries made pointed at African Gas and Oil Ltd as an importer of LPG, and a reseller of the same to the various purchasers including One Petroleum ,” KRA lawyers said in court papers. “KRA avers that preliminary finding of the analysis of the Ex Parte Applicant revealed massive under declaration or omission of sales occasioning the respondent a revenue loss of Sh68 million,” one of the lawyers with knowledge of the raid had said.
KRA had withdrawn the tax compliance certificates for all the companies owned by the Jaffer family, whose directors are relatives namely; Mutjaba Mohamed Jaffer, Ali Abbas Jaffer and Mohamed Husein Jafer. However, as usual, the courts let them off the hook easily after money exchanged hands. The tax compliance certificates were reinstated.
Very rich and corrupt family
A report by the Finance Committee in November in 2020 reported Grain Bulk controls 98 per cent of all grain imports and has been in operations since 2002.
Under the contract terms with Kenya Ports Authority, it operates exclusively at berth 3 and 4 which expired in 2008 which stepped up a fight to open up the lucrative trade to other players including Kilindini Terminals Limited, Kapa Oil Refinery, Africa Ports and Terminals, Multiship international and Kipevu inland container EPZA.
READ: Slavery in Kenya: Proto Energy throws out employees like dogs
It brought efficiency at the port cutting down time for offloading and limiting spillage and has grown its storage capacity of 200,000 metric tonnes with the additional 125,000 metric tonnes at the 33 large silos at the Inland Container Depot in Nairobi.
This is huge and the money got from all these monopolistic businesses is used to bribe their way into tenders, boardrooms and out of court and unlawful situations.
