Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is facing a defamation lawsuit over a series of explosive public remarks that allegedly linked private oil firms and top government officials to irregular petroleum dealings.
The case, filed at the High Court, has been brought by Jackson Kiplimo, the chairman of Stabex International Limited, alongside the company and associated entities.
The plaintiffs argue that Gachagua made false and damaging claims that have significantly harmed their reputation and business standing.
At the centre of the dispute are statements Gachagua is said to have made on April 5, 2026, during a church service in Kiambu.
According to court filings, he alleged that Stabex and another energy firm were being used as proxies in a government-to-government fuel procurement arrangement tied to President William Ruto. He further claimed that the President had generated more than Ksh1.5 trillion in profits through the alleged scheme.
The plaintiffs have strongly denied the allegations, terming them “completely false” and baseless.
In court documents, they insist that Stabex has no involvement in the government-to-government petroleum framework and maintains no proxy relationship with the President or any political figure. They describe the remarks as malicious, politically motivated, and made with reckless disregard for the truth.
The suit also takes issue with claims that senior officials at institutions such as the Kenya Pipeline Company and the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority were involved in parallel fuel importation deals that allegedly generated illicit profits.
According to the plaintiffs, such statements portray them as participants in unlawful activities, thereby undermining their credibility in the highly regulated energy sector.
Stabex, the court documents note, operates as an established oil marketing company with a significant footprint across East Africa, including more than 200 retail fuel stations and multiple bulk storage depots.
Its leadership maintains that the company conducts legitimate business and has never been part of any clandestine or politically-linked fuel arrangement.
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs say they issued a demand letter to Gachagua on April 9, seeking an immediate public apology and retraction.
However, they claim he has neither withdrawn the statements nor responded, a move they argue has compounded the reputational damage. They are now seeking general and exemplary damages, as well as a court order barring him from repeating the allegations.
A Political Feud Spills Into Court
The lawsuit emerges against the backdrop of an intensifying political fallout between Gachagua and President Ruto, marked by a series of public accusations and counter-accusations.
In recent weeks, Gachagua has made sweeping corruption claims against the President, alleging that he is at the centre of a multi-billion shilling fuel procurement scandal.
He claimed that Ruto earns about Ksh5 per litre of fuel through proxy companies in a government-to-government deal—assertions that now form part of the broader controversy underpinning the defamation case.
Gachagua has also accused the President of using large sums of money to influence political processes, including alleged payments to Members of Parliament and Senators to support the 2024 Finance Bill and his own impeachment.
Additional claims have touched on alleged land acquisitions and the use of public resources for private development projects.
President Ruto has forcefully rejected the allegations, describing Gachagua as a “pathological liar” and accusing him of attempting to destabilise the government for political gain.
The President has, in turn, alleged that Gachagua demanded billions in campaign financing – claims the former Deputy President has denied.
The political standoff has been further fuelled by personal accusations, including disputes involving family matters and claims of coercion, with Gachagua alleging he was offered a financial inducement to step down prior to his impeachment.
What began as a war of words has now escalated into a legal battle, with the defamation suit marking one of the first concrete consequences of the ongoing feud.
For the plaintiffs, the case is about protecting corporate integrity and distancing themselves from politically charged allegations. For Gachagua, it represents a significant legal test as he continues to position himself as a vocal critic of the current administration.
