President William Ruto Defends G-to-G Fuel Deal Following Ugandan Criticism

President William Ruto has defended Kenya’s Government-to-Government (G-to-G) petroleum importation framework following criticism from Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni regarding the role of intermediaries in regional fuel supply chains.

Addressing members of the Kenyan diaspora in New York on Sunday, September 20, 2026, President Ruto emphasized that his administration prioritized eliminating middlemen from fuel procurement upon assuming office in 2022 to stabilize energy costs and preserve foreign exchange reserves.

“If there is anything we got right immediately when we took over the leadership of the country in 2022, it was to eliminate brokers in the importation of fuel,” President Ruto stated. “We have sorted out the problem in a permanent way. I can tell you without contradiction as President that we have the right model, better than any other.”

The Head of State’s remarks follow statements by President Museveni alleging that Kenyan intermediaries had previously inflated fuel costs for Uganda, prompting Kampala to seek alternative procurement avenues. Responding to criticisms raised by Kenya’s political opposition regarding the cost-effectiveness of the arrangement, President Ruto challenged observers to review regional pricing structures, asserting that Kenya’s landed petroleum costs remain lower than those of neighboring nations. He further noted that several African countries, including Malawi and Burundi, have engaged Kenya to study the operational design of the G-to-G model.