Ruto: Uhuru is Using well Connected Companies to Create Fuel Shortage

Kenya Kwanza Alliance leaders led by Deputy President William Ruto and Musalia Mudavadi have accused President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government laxity in dealing with the fuel crisis in the country

Addressing the press from his Karen office, the deputy president accused President Uhuru’s led government of using well-connected companies to deliberately create fuel shortage that has led to an increase in the cost of living in the country

The DP said that the artificial shortage that has been caused by well-connected individuals in government has led to long queues at the petrol stations which will lead to an increase in bus fares, and boda-boda operators are being driven out of business.

Cost of living

Ruto said that the skyrocketing prices of food items have pushed the cost of living beyond the reach of millions of Kenyans.

“Many farmers have failed to plant because the price of fertilizer has moved from Kshs 3,000 to a high of Kshs 7,000 per 50kg bag, a price that is beyond the reach of most farmers during this planting season.”

“It thus means that this year’s harvest will be dismal, further compounding the problem of food security in the country.”

Kenya Kwanza Alliance questioned why Cooking gas that was retailing at Kshs 2,300 in February, is now sold at Kshs 3,350.

“The price of 10 liters cooking oil was Kshs 1,450, but now it is Kshs 3,100 and as already stated, fuel shot up from Kshs 135 per liter of petrol to between Kshs 150-205.”

He wondered why the 39 billion shillings Petroleum Development Fund levy meant for the fuel subsidy has not been operationalized

Ruto said that the Auditor-General had already raised questions on the irregular and illegal diversion of these consumer protection funds to State agencies and unnamed private entities.

“She also decried abuses on the petroleum import systems in favor of some preferred and politically connected oil marketers deliberately depriving Kenyans of the subsidy mechanism.”

The DP also alleged that the treasury diverted funds that were meant to cushion Kenyans were being used in debt servicing and infrastructure development without the approval of the National Assembly

“Can the ministry list the import quotas that have been allocated to oil marketers over the last year, by name?”

“Why hasn’t there been any fertilizer subsidy allocation in the budget in the last 3 years including in last week’s supplementary estimates where our MP’s attempts to allocate money for the subsidy were frustrated? Only for the ministry of agriculture to engage in the current PR stunts late in the day to pretend to provide subsidized fertilizer”

In a hard-hitting statement, Ruto said that the current state of affairs is a clear manifestation of the vestiges of conflict of interest and state capture that is now pervasive in all sectors of the economy.

He went on to say that Kenyans want an end to this issue of conflict of interest and state capture

“The casual and insensitive attitude to the plight of tens of millions of struggling Kenyans is a disturbing development that has emboldened cartels which have taken over critical economic sectors and are now moving in top gear to capture the state”

The Kenya Kwanza team now wants the National Treasury to account for all diversions of funds out of the Petroleum Development Fund, and to restore the fuel subsidy mechanism forthwith.