Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Ruto of leveraging the unfolding fuel scandal to shield personal business interests, escalating a political confrontation over Kenya’s petroleum sector.
Speaking in Murang’a on Saturday, April 4, 2026, Gachagua dismissed allegations that recent fuel imports were substandard, arguing instead that the crackdown on officials was driven by competition linked to the government’s fuel supply structure. He maintained that Kenyans were being misled about the reasons behind the arrests, insisting the issue had little to do with product quality.
At the center of his claims is the Government-to-Government fuel import framework, introduced under Ruto’s administration, which channels petroleum purchases through select firms under fixed arrangements. According to Gachagua, the system benefits a small circle of connected companies, which he alleges are linked to the president through proxies. He argued that officials who sought alternative, cheaper imports disrupted this setup and were punished as a result.
Gachagua claimed that executives at the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Kenya Pipeline Company moved to secure lower-cost fuel in anticipation of global supply pressures, including tensions tied to Iran. In his account, those efforts were aimed at cushioning Kenyan consumers from price spikes but instead triggered backlash from actors tied to the G-to-G arrangement who feared losing profits.
He described the detained officials as acting in the public interest, warning they would face what he termed politically motivated charges. The arrests, he said, were less about wrongdoing and more about protecting entrenched commercial interests within the fuel supply chain.
The former deputy president also turned his criticism to government tax policy, arguing that recent increases have compounded the burden on consumers. He pointed to an 8 percent VAT hike and a fuel levy of seven shillings per litre, claiming the levy has been used to secure large-scale borrowing. In his view, these measures have inflated pump prices and could push fuel costs significantly higher if left unchanged.
Gachagua further accused investigative agencies, including the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, of being used to intimidate perceived competitors in the energy sector, alleging a pattern of enforcement actions targeting those outside preferred networks.
He also raised concerns about developments at the Kenya Pipeline Company, alleging irregular attempts to influence leadership changes and ownership structures. He claimed public funds, including pension savings and unclaimed financial assets, had been improperly used in transactions involving the state corporation, warning that those involved could face legal consequences in the future.
Similar concerns have been echoed by Ndindi Nyoro, who linked the controversy to broader issues of control and patronage within the fuel import system. Nyoro argued that interference with the G-to-G arrangement reflects deeper struggles over access to lucrative state-backed deals, and cautioned that such disputes risk undermining transparency and market stability.
He called for immediate measures to ease pressure on consumers, including reviewing fuel taxes and improving communication to prevent panic buying and supply distortions. According to Nyoro, taxes and levies account for a significant share of pump prices, leaving the government with room to intervene.
The dispute comes amid a wave of exits in the energy sector, including senior officials from key institutions, as investigators probe claims of overpriced emergency fuel shipments and possible manipulation of supply data. Authorities are examining whether inaccurate reporting of fuel stocks may have been used to justify procurement outside established frameworks, deepening scrutiny of the sector’s governance.
