DCI threatens action against Gachagua over speech linking Ruto to Sh500m fuel exhibit

collage photo DCI boss Amin and Former DP Gachagua

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has threatened legal action against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over remarks made on Sunday, April 5, during a church service in Gatundu North.

In a statement, the agency faulted Gachagua for alleging that it, alongside President William Ruto, was involved in a Ksh500 million scandal linked to the importation of substandard fuel worth over Ksh4 billion.

"The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has taken note of certain remarks made today by Rigathi Gachagua during the Easter Sunday Service at AIPCA Gakoe Church in Gatundu North, Kiambu County," the agency said.

During his speech, Gachagua claimed the scandal stemmed from a failed deal, alleging that former officials were being punished for attempting to bypass the government.

He named former Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, ex-Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director Joe Sang, and EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria as those targeted.

Gachagua further alleged that Ksh500 million recovered from the officials’ homes was handed over to the president as proceeds of the fake fuel deal.

However, the DCI dismissed the claims, terming them baseless and harmful to the institution’s credibility.

"The allegations levelled against the DCI in the course of Rigathi Gachagua's speech are false, unfounded, and malicious. The claims he made concerning recoveries and exhibits in regard to the ongoing probe lack any factual or evidentiary basis and are clearly intended to undermine public confidence in a key national law-enforcement institution," DCI reiterated in their statement.

The agency said it is reviewing Gachagua’s full remarks, including those made in Gikuyu, to determine whether they violate the National Cohesion and Integration Act.

"Furthermore, the DCI is actively reviewing the full utterances made by Hon. Rigathi Gachagua, particularly those delivered in the Gikuyu language. We are assessing whether any of these statements may constitute offences under the National Cohesion and Integration Act," the agency revealed.

"The DCI will not hesitate to take appropriate action where the law has been broken, irrespective of the status or position of any individual."

Earlier, President William Ruto vowed that all those implicated in the fuel scandal would face the law, as investigations continue into claims of inflated imports and manipulated fuel stock data.

Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi also confirmed that the ministry halted a second fuel shipment after concerns emerged over an earlier consignment now under probe.