Speaking during a public address in Murang’a on Saturday, Gachagua claimed the arrests were not based on wrongdoing but were instead tied to disagreements surrounding the government’s fuel procurement system.
According to Gachagua, the officials targeted in the investigations had attempted to import cheaper fuel to help cushion Kenyans from rising fuel prices.
He argued that their actions were in the public interest, insisting that they sought to introduce competition into a system that has largely been dominated by the government-to-government fuel import arrangement introduced during the administration of President William Ruto.
Gachagua alleged that the government’s fuel procurement model primarily benefits a limited number of companies operating under fixed agreements.
He claimed the arrangement restricts competition and allows a few players to control the supply chain, a situation he believes ultimately inflates fuel costs for consumers.
“The narrative that the fuel imported was substandard is misleading,” Gachagua said.
“Those involved were simply trying to secure cheaper fuel for the country at a time when global supply concerns were rising.”
He further argued that competition introduced by the independent imports threatened the existing procurement structure, which he claims explains why authorities moved quickly to arrest the officials involved.
According to him, the controversy is less about the quality of fuel and more about protecting certain commercial interests.
Gachagua also criticised government tax policies on fuel, saying levies and taxes have significantly contributed to the high prices motorists and businesses face.
He pointed to the eight percent value-added tax on fuel and an additional fuel levy as measures that have pushed pump prices higher.
Meanwhile, Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro echoed similar concerns about the handling of the government-to-government framework.
Nyoro warned that attempts to interfere with the current arrangement could deepen tensions within the energy sector and create uncertainty in fuel supply.
The controversy has emerged amid a series of high-profile developments in the petroleum sector, including the resignation of Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director Joe Sang, and Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority Director-General Daniel Kiptoo.
Authorities are currently investigating claims that emergency fuel shipments were overpriced and potentially failed to meet quality standards.
Investigators are also examining allegations that data on local fuel stocks may have been falsified, a move that reportedly triggered emergency imports outside the government-to-government system.
As the probe continues, the dispute has exposed deeper tensions surrounding Kenya’s fuel supply strategy, with political leaders and industry stakeholders offering sharply differing interpretations of the unfolding events.
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