NAIROBI, Kenya — The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has dismissed opposition allegations of cartel infiltration in fraudulent oil imports as politically motivated exploitation, escalating confrontation over a procurement scandal that has ensnared senior energy sector officials.
UDA Secretary General Omar Hassan, in a statement on Monday, April 6, rejected claims by Democratic Party leader Rigathi Gachagua and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro that top government officials orchestrated the scheme, warning them to desist from “misinformed statements.”
Lack of Intellectual Depth
Hassan characterised opposition commentary as superficial and uninformed: “On this critical national matter, their commentary has not only been discordant but also conspicuously superficial, betraying a troubling lack of intellectual depth and policy understanding.”
The rebuttal follows Gachagua’s allegation that arrests of Energy Ministry officials resulted from a government-to-government (G-to-G) oil importation arrangement “gone sour.”
Gachagua claimed officials bypassed the G-to-G deal and “shortchanged” President William Ruto—a narrative UDA frames as political opportunism.
Official Arrests
Arrested officials include Energy Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director Joe Sang, and Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Director General Daniel Kiptoo.
They face accusations of defying the G-to-G framework by importing fuel through an alternative entity.
UDA maintained the scheme involved importing cargoes priced Ksh50–Ksh80 above existing G-to-G shipments, a differential the party claims would have triggered “runaway inflation” and economic crippling.
Price Stability Pledge
The ruling party clarified that fuel prices will remain unchanged and “adequate safeguards” have been instituted to mitigate substandard cargo risks.
The statement did not specify safeguard mechanisms or oversight institutions responsible for implementation.
UDA simultaneously called for expedited investigation of Gachagua, demanding legal action if culpability is established, escalating the confrontation from policy dispute to potential criminalisation of opposition speech.
Ruto’s Warning
President Ruto, separately, warned that cartels exploiting Middle East crisis volatility for petroleum sector profit will face severe punishment.
“The government will not allow a few profiteers to take advantage of the crisis to exploit Kenyans through corruption in the petroleum industry,” President Ruto stated.
The President’s cartel rhetoric contrasts with UDA’s dismissal of cartel claims as opposition fabrication, creating tension between anti-corruption messaging and partisan defence of institutional integrity.
