Fuel Scandal Explosion: Rigathi Gachagua Demands CS Opiyo Wandayi’s Immediate Resignation

In a high-stakes press briefing from what he termed the “Command Center,” former Deputy President and leading figure of the United Alternative Government, Rigathi Gachagua, has launched a blistering attack on the current administration’s energy policies. At the heart of his address was a direct demand for the immediate resignation and prosecution of Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi. Gachagua accused the CS of overseeing a “criminal enterprise” within the energy value chain and lying under oath to a National Assembly committee regarding the true nature of Kenya’s fuel procurement deals.

Gachagua’s fiery rhetoric comes in the wake of historic fuel price adjustments that saw petrol and diesel surge past the Sh200 mark. He alleged that the current Government-to-Government (G-to-G) petroleum framework is a sham, claiming it is actually a “Government-to-Proxy” arrangement designed to benefit private interests rather than the Kenyan taxpayer. According to Gachagua, the framework relies on handpicked oil marketing companies that act as nominees for top government officials, allegedly earning them a staggering Sh30 billion in profit since the deal’s inception.

The former DP did not hold back in detailing what he called a “remarkable architecture of conmanship.” He claimed that while the government blamed the Middle East crisis for supply disruptions, it was actually using the chaos to renegotiate pricing in Dubai to maximize private margins. Gachagua alleged that for every liter of fuel consumed in Kenya following the April 14th price hike, specific individuals in power are earning a profit of Sh5 per liter, amounting to Sh2.5 billion monthly.

Furthermore, he defended the recently arrested petroleum officials—including former PS Mohamed Liban and former DG EPRA Daniel Kiptoo—arguing they were “gallant officers” who were sacrificed because they refused to bend procurement rules for a state-linked proxy company, Gaff Energy. Gachagua asserted that these officers were following National Security Council directives to diversify fuel sources, only to be purged when their actions threatened the profit margins of the powerful “oil cartels” he claims now run the country.

Issuing a 7-day ultimatum, Gachagua called on the President to convene a special sitting of Parliament to address a list of “irreducible minimums.” Chief among these demands is the cancellation of the G-to-G petroleum framework, the removal of VAT on fuel products, and the suspension of the Road Maintenance Levy, which was recently increased to Sh25 per liter. He also demanded a freeze on affordable housing and NSSF deductions, which he labeled as punitive measures used to finance single-source infrastructure projects.

The United Alternative Government has warned that failure to act on these demands will result in national mass action. As the country grapples with the social and economic fallout of record-breaking pump prices, Gachagua’s move signals a deepening political rift and a new phase of aggressive opposition. “Truly you cannot change the character of a man,” Gachagua remarked, directly challenging the President to “stop living in utopia” and prioritize the welfare of Wanjiku (the common citizen).