Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has hit back at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over his sharp criticism of Kenya’s government-to-government fuel importation framework, calling the attacks politically motivated and urging Gachagua to address his concerns to the ministry rather than dragging President William Ruto into every statement.
The clash erupted after Gachagua, now leader of the Democracy for Citizens Party, used a media briefing before his travel to the United Kingdom to blast the G-to-G fuel arrangement as a failure that has left Kenyans paying higher pump prices.
“This G-to-G arrangement is a fraud. We were told that it would regulate prices and cushion Kenyans from sporadic changes in pricing systems, but the prices keep going higher,” Gachagua said.
He went further, arguing that Kenya’s fuel prices no longer align with global oil market trends, pointing out that neighboring countries sourcing petroleum from the same Middle East suppliers continue to sell it at significantly lower prices.
Wandayi: Gachagua Was There at the Beginning
Responding on Saturday, Wandayi wasted no time dismantling the former deputy president’s position, starting with a pointed reminder of Gachagua’s own role in launching the very framework he now condemns.
“This issue of government-to-government fuel importation did not start yesterday or today,” Wandayi said. “In 2023, when Rigathi Gachagua was deputy president, he was at the forefront of receiving the first vessels under the same G-to-G framework.”
The CS drew a sharp contrast between Gachagua’s earlier enthusiasm for the policy and his current opposition to it, framing the shift as politically driven rather than grounded in genuine policy concern.
“How can the framework be good when he was deputy president and suddenly become bad now?” Wandayi posed.
“Stop Mentioning President Ruto in Every Statement”
Wandayi made clear he has no patience for what he views as an attempt to use energy policy as a vehicle for attacking the presidency. He called on Gachagua to bring any grievances directly to the ministry.
“If he has issues concerning my docket, then he should face me directly and stop mentioning President Ruto in every statement,” he said.
The energy minister also urged political leaders to give the government room to deliver on its development agenda, describing continued attacks as a distraction from meaningful progress.
“This obsession with President Ruto is sickening. You cannot continue clinging to the name of another man day in and day out,” Wandayi said.
Turkana Oil Milestone Under His Watch
Shifting to broader energy sector developments, Wandayi pointed to the long-stalled Turkana oil project as evidence of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s commitment to advancing the country’s energy future.
He noted that while geologists discovered oil in Turkana County back in 2012, the project sat in limbo for over a decade before his ministry took decisive action.
“This oil was discovered in Turkana in 2012, but it was only last December that the Field Development Plan was approved under my watch, 14 years later,” he said.
The plan has since cleared both the National Assembly and the Senate, with lawmakers in both houses voting to approve it, a milestone Wandayi described as a turning point for Kenya’s domestic energy ambitions.
A Warning Shot
Wandayi closed his remarks with a clear signal that he intends to fight back against what he views as a sustained political campaign against the government’s energy agenda. He warned that he would no longer stay silent in the face of continued criticism from the former deputy president, suggesting that Gachagua should expect sharper responses going forward.
