Ruto's claims of cartels dominate oil import saga

The talk of cartels attends to nearly all essential imports, from fuel to fertilizer and maize to sugar.

When President William Ruto publicly spoke for the first time on the controversial importation of oil, he had no hesitation in pointing the accusing finger.

Cartels is a word President Ruto has had to pronounce numerous times since he took office in 2022.

A few months into ascendance to office, it was the sugar industry that provided the first point of contact, with the president accusing cartels and using the phrase "mambo ni matatu."

From sugar to tea and coffee, Kenya supposedly is a land teeming with cartels. 

Whether real or imagined, cartels have been a code word for powerful forces in Kenya’s economic affairs.

In 2023, then Trade CS Moses Kuria faced public and legislative scrutiny over a controversial edible oil importation deal. The edible oil scam involved allegations of single-sourcing and potential revenue losses of up to Ksh.10 billion in waived taxes.

This importation ended up in a public scandal, leading to the removal of the Kenya National Trading officials, and Moses Kuria was later dropped as a Cabinet Secretary.