By James Murimi - Reporter
Kenya, 16 April 2026 - The ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party has outlined how former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and former Attorney General Justin Muturi played central roles in the rollout of the government-to-government (G-to-G) fuel importation framework, even as they now oppose it.
Speaking during a press briefing at the party’s headquarters in Nairobi on Thursday, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar said Gachagua personally received the first consignment of fuel under the G-to-G arrangement on 12 April 2023, where he delivered a speech backing the initiative as a key intervention to stabilise the economy.
At the time, Omar noted, Gachagua publicly endorsed the framework, describing it as a strategic solution to ensure consistent fuel supply and ease pressure on the shilling.
Muturi, on his part, provided the legal foundation for the deal on 10 March 2023, when he gave the necessary clearance in his capacity as Attorney General, effectively paving the way for its implementation.
Omar said the two leaders’ current criticism of the framework sharply contradicts their earlier positions.
“It is particularly amusing that leaders who were instrumental in the design and rollout of the G-to-G arrangement now feign ignorance and mislead the public,” the Secretary General said.
UDA dismissed opposition attacks on the fuel deal as “deceitful, malicious and ill-motivated,” insisting the current price pressures are a result of global forces rather than domestic policy failures.
“The opposition’s remarks that the crisis has been manufactured by domestic policy are false and reflect a profound deficit in global policy comprehension,” Omar said.
Defending the G-to-G framework, the ruling party said it has been critical in ensuring stability in fuel supply while reducing demand for dollars in the open market, thereby cushioning the local currency.
Omar revealed that Sh6.2 billion has been deployed from the Petroleum Development Levy to mitigate the impact of rising global oil prices, alongside a reduction in Value Added Tax on petroleum products from 16 per cent to 8 percent.
Following the latest review, pump prices now stand at KSh 197.60 for petrol, KSh 196.63 for diesel and KSh 152.78 for kerosene.
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UDA attributed the surge in fuel prices to global geopolitical tensions, particularly the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted supply chains and driven up international oil prices.
“Kenya, like many of its peers, is experiencing ripple effects of global energy market disruptions,” said Omar.
He also warned against attempts to import fuel outside the G-to-G framework, terming such moves illegal, costly and risky.
“Such attempts would have pushed pump prices as high as KSh 236 per litre for petrol and KSh 260 for diesel,” he noted.
Omar dismissed claims of an impending fuel shortage, maintaining that the country has adequate stocks and that recent reports of supply disruptions were unfounded.
On calls for mass action by opposition leaders, Omar termed the move “outrageous and anachronistic,” arguing that it ignores global oil pricing realities.
“Petroleum pricing in import-dependent economies like Kenya is largely shaped by international market dynamics beyond domestic policy control,” he said.
The ruling party also rejected proposals to scrap key fuel levies, warning that such measures would undermine long-term economic stability.
“Such proposals reflect a populist agenda driven by the pursuit of power rather than a genuine commitment to transformative governance,” Omar said.