‘Kenya Gov’t is not a broker,’ President Ruto addresses Raila's oil deal claims

President William Ruto has hit back at Azimio la Umoja One Kenya frontman Raila Odinga after the opposition boss chided the reigning administration for allegedly orchestrating a scheme in the procurement of petroleum products through a purported government-to-government agreement with Saudi Arabia.

Speaking during the final day of the National Executive Retreat in Nairobi on Friday, Ruto underscored that the State does not act as a broker in the oil procurement business, but rather an underwriter responsible for ensuring oil transactions occur without any hitches.

"The purpose of the government is twofold; to guarantee international oil companies that they can extend products to Kenya for six months and that after six months we are going to pay and we have kept our part of the bargain," he said.

"We also gave them the guarantee that dollars will be available to them and we have made sure that is the case. The rest is private business. The State is not a broker or an in-between so the entire process is private sector-led."

President Ruto similarly slammed the opposition for allegedly grasping at straws in their attempts to uncover scandals within his administration.

"I want to challenge the speculators and the agents of the cartels to go and speak to the oil marketing companies in Kenya instead of the rumour mongering that is going on," he said.

"I want to assure them that the fishing they are doing for a scandal in this administration, they are not about to succeed. They can speculate, imagine and dream about a scandal but that is how far they can go."

On Thursday, Mr. Odinga alleged that the Kenya-Saudi deal was signed and kept secret to drive up the cost of fuel in the country while benefiting shadowy government officials.

Mr. Odinga claimed Kenya did not sign any agreement with the UAE or Saudi Arabia and that the agreement was signed between the Energy Ministry and state-owned companies in the Middle East.

He added that the Kenya Kwanza government then characterized the transaction as a government-to-government deal in order to exempt three Kenyan companies from paying 30% corporate tax.

"There was no G-to-G. Kenya did not sign any contracts with Saudi Arabia or the UAE. Only the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum signed a deal with state-owned petroleum companies in the Middle East," the former premier said then.

"Why Ruto chose to characterize the deal as a G-to-G is the first red flag that points to mischief in this deal."