Lawmakers affiliated with the Kenya Kwanza political faction have strongly rejected Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga’s recent revelations concerning a government-to-government oil deal. National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah accused Odinga of spreading propaganda and questioned the credibility of his statements.
Odinga asserted that the oil companies involved in the government’s deal were responsible for the surge in pump prices. He claimed that Deputy President Ruto’s administration did not engage in a direct government-to-government agreement with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates but rather with state-owned oil marketing firms from those nations.
“In the case of Oryx, it bought diesel at an average Platts price of $97.88 (KSh 14,182) per barrel in July 2023. But was allowed to sell to oil marketing companies at $114.5 (KSh 16,585) per barrel,” alleged Raila, emphasizing that the deal negatively impacted tax revenues.
Lawmakers aligned with the Kenya Kwanza government dismissed Raila’s claims, defending the government-to-government deal as a measure aimed at eradicating corruption linked to the oil subsidy program. Kimani Ichung’wah, leading the charge, argued that Raila’s allegations lacked substance and were part of his usual propaganda tactics.
“If that is not a government-to-government deal, what else is G-to-G if not a contract signed between a government ministry and a state-owned corporation?” questioned Ichung’wah. He challenged Raila to provide evidence of the companies supposedly evading corporate tax.
The lawmakers insisted that the government would not succumb to Raila’s tactics and urged him to present credible evidence to support his claims. Meanwhile, Raila has called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate the alleged discrepancies in the oil deal.
As the political discourse intensifies, the conflicting narratives surrounding the oil importation deal continue to fuel tensions between the opposing political factions in Kenya.
