Ola Energy appoints new boss for Kenya operations in expansion plans
Ola Energy has tapped Yousef Elhemmali to head its Kenyan operations as the company seeks to deepen its share of the local fuel market. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Oil marketer Ola Energy has tapped Yousef Elhemmali to head its Kenyan operations as the company seeks to deepen its share of the local fuel market and the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) segment.
Mr Elhemmali replaced Millicent Onyonyi whose three-year tenure at the oil marketer ended at the start of this month. The appointment comes as Ola Energy prepares to build an LPG handling berth in Mombasa and open up more fuel stations countrywide as it seeks a larger share of the petroleum market.
“Dr Yousef’s appointment comes at a time when OLA Energy Kenya is implementing its expansion on the retail network and other initiatives to increase overall market share in the petroleum product sales,” said the oil marketer in a statement.
The firm recently got approval from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority to build an LPG handling facility in Shimanzi. The berth with a capacity of 14, 500 tonnes will help Ola Energy to increase its revenues from the cooking gas market.
Ola Energy is the fourth biggest player in the fuel market with a share of 7.52 percent as at March, according to the latest industry data.
Vivo Energy, retailer of Shell-branded fuel products, controls the market with a share of 26.52 percent followed by TotalEnergies Marketing Kenya at 17.7 percent and Rubis (10.7 percent).
Ola Energy Kenya is also keen to open more fuel stations in Kenya as it seeks to maintain competition on the three oil marketers that have been on an aggressive expansion spree.
The firm’s move to the Shimanzi LPG facility will help Ola Energy to play in the wholesale market of cooking gas besides increasing the sales of its Ola-branded gas.
Mr Yousef is a career expert in the oil sector and has been at the helm of Ola Energy in Tunisia, Morocco and Sudan.
He was in charge of the OLA Energy affiliates of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda before his appointment to replace Ms Onyonyi.
