Salat Mohamud Mohamed: From Garissa to the helm of Hass Petroleum

Salat Mohamud Mohamed exudes quiet confidence during a phone interview with Radio Generation while in the UK capital, London. There is no trace of flamboyance in his voice, no overbearing corporate jargon.

Instead, the 40-year-old Hass Petroleum Chief Executive Officer speaks with calm humility, blending modesty with a measured passion for his work.

He opens up about being raised in Garissa County.

“I was born and raised in Garissa County,” Salat begins, his tone steady and reflective.

“Then joined the University of Nairobi, did a Bachelor of Economics and a Master's in Economics, then went to KPMG, the audit firm. I trained with them for about 6–7 years, then joined Hass Petroleum as the Head of Internal Audit, became the CFO, and I'm currently serving as the CEO.”

At the university, he laid the foundation for a career that would take him from global audit firms to the boardroom of one of Africa’s most dynamic oil marketers.

Hass Petroleum boss

Salat’s Hass Petroleum has a strong presence in several countries across the region, including Kenya, DRC, Tanzania, and Malawi.

He explains how he manages the regulatory hurdles that come with running the firm.

“How do you manage all these complex issues? One country has different rules. The other country has different rules. For me, that is where my thrill is. That ability to juggle those balls,” he says.

He adds, “For example, I will have security issues and security concerns in markets like Somalia, DRC, not DRC as such, but a bit of DRC, and Southern Sudan. I will have forex issues in other markets. I have profitability issues in other markets. Oil, by the way, is something that is really informed. The prices of oil are informed by geopolitics.”

Under his leadership, Hass Petroleum has expanded deeper into regional markets while also diversifying its portfolio.

Yet for all the boardroom victories, Salat remains strikingly people-oriented, crediting his success to a mix of trust and teamwork.

“Me trusting much younger boys with a bigger role has made the difference. Because if you look at this generation, this is a generation where if you tell them you go deliver, you just want this delivered. How you do this, it doesn’t matter,” he explains.

He advises corporates and entrepreneurs to focus on delivery rather than formalities such as office attendance.

“They go and do magic. But if you are in the old mentality of telling the guy, Oh, you are supposed to be in the office at eight. Where were you? And so on. You start focusing on the means of delivery rather than the ends. You will lose it,” he advises.

Hass Petroleum's trailblazer attitude

Salat believes that running a corporate firm such as Hass Petroleum requires a sense of uniqueness and a trailblazer attitude.

“Honestly, we don’t want to be like any other person. We want to be unique. We want to be a trailblazer in this industry. Today, I am one of the first pioneers to introduce non-combustible cylinders,” Salat continues.

“We’ve introduced a cylinder that doesn’t burn. You can throw it inside the fire, but it doesn’t burn. So, under my leadership, we don’t want to do what the rest are doing.”

In a global economy where fuel is make or break, Salat describes the security of supply as critical.

“If today there is no supply of fuel, then it means the government doesn’t take light. So, security of supply is critical. So, can we be a partner and a supplier of choice who is very reliable, and when they say they deliver, they can deliver. Not just in Kenya, but in the region. So, for the last six years, the government of Zambia has relied on my supplies and my consistency,” he adds. "We are a big player in the tenders in Tanzania."

He explains, “One of the reasons the price of oil or fuel is sensitive is that it influences every other service or production. It’s an input cost. So, if today the price of fuel is high, even the boda boda guy will charge you more.”

On partnerships, Salat describes them as a critical pillar of success.

“So, partnership and collaboration are critical. And when you talk about partnership, we’re talking end-to-end partnership. So, there’s partnership with our competitors,” says Salat.

He shares how one former employee, who planned to quit, ended up becoming a partner running one of Hass Petroleum’s fuel stations.

“Sometimes, you have this sharp, smart guy, and I had one. I’ll give you an example of a lady. One day, she woke up and she’s like, 'I want to do my own business.' I’m like, "What do you want to do?" So, what did I do? I gave her one of our stations for her to become a dealer,” he remarks.

“It’s one of the best-performing stations. So, for me, a partnership that goes vertical, horizontal, all-in is critical.”

On operating in a challenging and dynamic market, he says people and management are some of the key stumbling blocks.

“So, people, people management, and especially the generational gap that we’re dealing with is one thing for me that I am trying my level best, but I struggle with it,” he admits.

Recognition and responsibility

Salat is among 180 Kenyans proposed to be declared national heroes in 2025, recognized for their outstanding contributions to entrepreneurship, industry, and peacebuilding.

The National Heroes Council said the nominees have made lasting impacts across multiple sectors, from business and economic development to conflict resolution, inspiring communities and strengthening national growth and social cohesion.

“Salat is being honoured for his exceptional leadership in entrepreneurship and industry,” the council said, highlighting his commitment to both economic development and sustainable innovation.

He plays down the recognition, calling it a surprise.

“I was surprised by this nomination, by the way. So, I don’t know who did that. I still don’t understand. I don’t think I’m a hero. I still feel like I’m in the process of achieving something,” he says.

Salat’s philosophy of leadership goes beyond profit margins. He frequently cites his years of volunteer service with the Kenya Red Cross Society as formative to his worldview.

“It was all about giving back to society. In terms of monetary gain, the amount of money that I was being offered it’s not something that would motivate anybody to come to be on that board and shape it and direct it. So, this for me was passion,” he says.

Over the years, his approach to leadership has not gone unnoticed. He has been named in the Top 40 Under 40 list and among the Top 100 Most Influential Muslims in Kenya.

He also runs a non-governmental organization, Quest for Sustainability (Q4S).

“Q4S is now doing a mentorship. If you go to my Twitter handle, you will see that last weekend I was with some young boys; we were cleaning mosques. It is a way of engaging boys and then mentoring them in life. I sponsor several students and orphans. I am one guy who is giving back to society,” he says.

Salat is also an ardent fan of the English Premier League club, Arsenal.

“I’m an Arsenal fan and that’s why I’m in London. I’m waiting for the game on Sunday,” he laughs.

Looking ahead

As he leads Hass Petroleum into its next phase of growth, Salat’s vision is clear and long-term.

“I believe the dream is one day, Hass Petroleum grows to be a multinational whose ownership is maybe listed on the stock exchange. You own it today, tomorrow you sell this share to me,” he concludes.