Maraga, Gachagua accuse President Ruto of profiting from fuel deal

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and former Chief Justice David Maraga have accused President William Ruto of directly profiteering from the recent oil scandal alongside other political beneficiaries.

The two, who spoke during separate functions on Friday, blamed the government for creating what they termed as avenues that have increased the cost of living and not doing enough to deal with the situation.

Gachagua, who spoke in Kiambu County, faulted the government for what he labelled as piecemeal interventions following a downward review of fuel prices by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), attributing the high cost of living—beyond the reach of many Kenyans—to the Kenya Kwanza administration.

“Hiyo haitoshi Kasongo, haitoshi, haitoshi. Tunataka uondoe ile shilingi arobaini uliongeza kwa bei ya mafuta ili maisha ikuwe sawasawa,” Gachagua said.

He called for the scrapping of taxes on fuel, some of which he had previously defended when they were introduced under the Finance Bill 2023, saying the government is to blame and vowing protests if their demands are not met.

“Kama hutaki kukutana na Wakenya ondoa ile 16% umeweka kwa mafuta. Uondoe ile shilingi 7 ya petroleum levy, na hii maneno ya G-to-G ambaye ni yako and open up the market for other players,” said Gachagua.

Meanwhile, Maraga, speaking in Kisii County, accused President Ruto of being among the beneficiaries of the alleged oil scandal, which he said adds to several others since 2022.

“You have seen the recent oil scandal, blatant conflict of interest they are involved in, including, sadly, the Head of State,” Maraga noted.

Maraga further accused the government of weakening institutions mandated by law in favour of political interests.

He said, “Instead of allowing Kenya Pipeline to import on behalf of the Kenyan people, he gave it to his cartels. Now what we are faced with is expensive and adulterated oil.”

Their remarks come two days after opposition leaders called for urgent measures to lower the cost of living, vowing to stage nationwide protests, with the National Police Service warning against targeting critical installations.