Oil cartels will be severely punished, President Ruto warns

The President said the government will not allow a few profiteers to take advantage of the crisis in the Middle East to exploit Kenyans through corruption in the petroleum industry.

Speaking at a church service in Kilgoris Constituency, Narok County, on Sunday, President Ruto said his administration will weed out all the profiteers and cartels in the petroleum sector. 

"We will deal firmly, decisively and conclusively with all the cartels in the oil sector," he said. 

All those who have been given public responsibility in the petroleum sector, he added, must be accountable. 

The President pointed out that these cartels will be dealt with in the same way as the profiteers in the tea, coffee and sugar sectors, as his administration has eliminated the groups that had frustrated farmers for decades.

"We are committed to the fight against impunity. We have stopped cartels in the sugar, coffee and tea sectors, and we will similarly stop those in the petroleum sector," he said. 

Additionally, he explained that cartels that were involved in the distribution of sub-standard and counterfeit fertiliser had also been punished. 

At the same time, President Ruto urged Kenyans to embrace peace, saying that ethnic politics should not be used to divide them. 

He said the politics of division, hatred and seclusion should be discouraged, pointing out that it is retrogressive and outdated. 

"We must reject divisive politics, hatred and tribalism and work together in ensuring shared prosperity for all," the President said. "If we want our nation to be truly blessed, we should work in unity."

Meanwhile, he assured Kenyans that the economy is doing well, with inflation down at 4.3 per cent, the exchange rate stable at Ksh.129 for the past 18 months and foreign exchange reserves now standing at a historic $214.6 billion.

"I can confidently tell you that we have stabilised our economy," said the President. 

President Ruto noted that his administration has undertaken the largest transformation in education, including building 23,000 new classrooms, recruiting 100,000 teachers in the past three years and improving the financing of higher education. 

In Narok, he said two major sugar companies have been built, pointing out that this will boost sugar farming in the county. 

On the Social Health Authority (SHA), the President said 415,000 people have registered in Narok County,  urging those who have not to do so to benefit from universal healthcare services. 

At the same time, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said the oil challenges the global economy is experiencing are a big lesson on why Kenyans should embrace electric vehicles. 

"As a country, we must increasingly adopt the electric vehicle mode of transport," Mr Mudavadi said. 

Mudavadi, who is also the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, disclosed that 47 of more than 250 Kenyans who had been recruited to fight in the Russia-Ukraine War have returned home.

Leaders from Narok, including Governor Patrick ole Ntutu, Kilgoris MP Julius Sunkuli, and Women Representative Rebecca Tonkei, said the Maa community will rally behind President Ruto in next year's election. 

Governor Ntutu assured the President that the leaders were united and would ensure that the residents support his re-election in 2027.

Tonkei hit out at government critics, saying they were jealous of the ongoing transformation agenda. 

"Many people are criticising President Ruto not because he is not working, but because they are jealous of the ongoing transformation agenda across the country," she said.