Editor's Review
Ruto claimed that Kenya had a better and cheaper model for importing fuel than Uganda.
President William Ruto responded to the uproar after his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, claimed that he cancelled an oil import deal with Kenya because of brokers in the government-to-government deal.
Speaking to Kenyans in America on Monday, September 21, Ruto explained that the deal Museveni was talking about was seven years ago, in 2019, when he was not in office
He defended the G-to-G importation model, stating that it ensured that there were no middlemen or brokers.
"President Museveni said something about the importation of oil products seven years ago, and I saw some people saying that G-to-G has a problem.
"I can tell you with clarity that if there is one thing we got right is to make sure that our fuel has no brokers in between. We are dealing with companies that are producers," Ruto stated.
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The Head of State alluded that Uganda had lost out by pulling out of the deal. He claimed that Uganda now imports fuel at an even higher cost than it did when it had a deal with Kenya.
Ruto said that the G-to-G was not only efficient because it ensured that Kenya got its fuel supply on time, but also cost-effective.
He maintained that the importation model was better than any other country in the region, and Malawi and Burundi approached the country to find out how it was done.
"I can tell you without fear of contradiction that we have the right model of importing our fuel products better than any other country.
"Check the landed costs of petrol products coming to Kenya and going to Uganda; which one is cheaper. Just go and check. We have a better model than even what Uganda is using today," he stated.
He challenged those claiming that there was a problem with the g-to-g to show a better model and present facts in the same.
Both Museveni and the Kenyan government issued statements after the clip went viral. The Ugandan President stated that the Senator who had told him about the brokers in 2019 was called Jirongo.
Earlier, the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum has defended Kenya's Government-to-Government (G-to-G) arrangement for the importation of refined petroleum products amid growing scrutiny of the deal.
It said the arrangement was introduced to address severe foreign exchange shortages that had threatened the country’s ability to import fuel and other essential commodities after the current administration assumed office in September 2022.
