Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, on Friday, May 15, revealed that his tour of the United Kingdom will not last for a month as initially planned.
Speaking at JKIA before his departure, Gachagaua explained that he had shortened his trip to about a week so that he could quickly come back to Kenya.
He claimed that it would be irresponsible of him to stay away from the country when Kenyans are suffering because of the newly announced fuel prices.
"I was to go to the UK for one month for a series of activities. However, because of the crises that we have and the pressure that I have received from Kenyans, I have to cut short the trip and will take 5 -6 days.
"We cannot leave the country when the people of Kenya are in trouble and struggling. It is my civic duty to fight for the people of Kenya," Gachagua stated.
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The DCP Leader revealed that he would hold a virtual meeting with other leaders in the United Opposition to decide on the next course of action.
He hinted that calling for demonstrations to protest the new fuel prices was among the options to be considered.
"If we have to take to the streets, so be it. If we need to stop the transport sector until the matter is addressed, then we have to," he reiterated.
The ex-DP stated that despite the United Opposition making clear their demands to President William Ruto and offering him options on how to cushion Kenyans from high fuel prices, he turned a deaf ear to them.
He claimed Ruto had rejected their counsel to drop the government-to-government deal, do away with VAT imposed and fuel and the KSh7 Petroleum Levy charged on every litre of fuel.
"We simply have to force him. It is as if we are talking to a stone. The more we talk to him, the more he increases his appetite for public funds and appetite to fleece Kenyans," Gachagua stated.
The DCP Leader stated that the new fuel prices would not only paralyse business in the country but also cause a spike in the cost of basic commodities.
He claimed that Kenyans are already in financial distress due to high taxation and that the fuel price hike would only make things worse for them.
Gachagua stated that if the Opposition decided to call for mass picketing, it would continue until the government met Kenyans' demands.
His sentiments came after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) increased the cost of a litre of Super petrol by Ksh16, and a litre of diesel by Ksh46 in the May-June price review.
