Gachagua calls strike truce a ‘decoy’, warns against ‘ethnic profiling’ amid fuel price crisis

Speaking during a press briefing streamed on his Facebook page on Tuesday, Gachagua criticised Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen’s remarks on the protests, accusing the government of “ethnic profiling” and trivialising what he described as a national crisis.

“How do you reduce a national conversation and national rage… to ethnic profiling?” he posed, saying Kenyans had reached a “breaking point”.

Gachagua questioned whether negotiations promised by the government would yield results, claiming the one-week suspension of the strike was meant to buy time.

“The one week strike suspension is just a decoy. There will be no negotiations,” he claimed.

He urged transport operators and Kenyans to continue pushing for justice and relief, arguing that it has become difficult to run businesses due to high costs.

Gachagua also raised fresh claims on fuel quality, alleging “bad fuel” has been introduced into the market and warning it could damage modern engines.

“Ideally the fuel we should be having is 5… but what we have is 60… this is bad fuel,” he claimed, warning that Euro 4, 5 and 6 engines “cannot take bad fuel” and alleging vehicles could develop “a knock in a few weeks.”

He dismissed the government’s explanation that the crisis is driven by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it “hot air”.

“This story that we are having a challenge because of the Strait of Hormuz is hot air,” he claimed.

Gachagua further accused the government of failing to confront what he termed conflict of interest and state capture in the petroleum sector, claiming the government-to-government importation framework is a business arrangement.

“The real issue… is conflict of interest and state capture,” he said, adding that the landed cost of fuel should be made public.

He also faulted President Ruto for travelling abroad as the crisis escalated, saying state affairs could be handled by officials in the ministries.

His remarks came a day after demonstrations and a transport shutdown disrupted movement in several towns over fuel prices. The government said four people died and more than 30 were injured during Monday’s protests, with 148 suspects arrested.

On Monday night, EPRA announced a mid-cycle recalculation of maximum pump prices following a petition by public transport operators, lowering diesel by Ksh.10.06 per litre while raising kerosene by Ksh.38.60, with super petrol unchanged.