Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been sued for defamation over remarks allegedly linking Stabex International Limited chairman Jackson Kiplimo Chebet and private companies to irregular petroleum dealings.
The chairman of Stabex International Limited, Jackson Kiplimo Chebet, alongside two associated companies, is seeking damages, claiming that statements made by Gachagua were false, malicious, and damaging to their reputation.
They filed a suit at the High Court.
The plaintiffs accused Gachagua of making a series of public remarks alleging that Stabex and Gulf Energy were being used as proxies in a government-to-government (G2G) petroleum procurement arrangement linked to President William Ruto.
The suit cited statements allegedly made by Gachagua on April 5, 2026, at AIPCA Gakoe Church in Kiambu, where he is said to have claimed that the President was conducting petroleum business through the two companies and had made profits exceeding Sh1.5 trillion since taking office.
“The statements are completely false. The 1st plaintiff (Stabex) has no involvement whatsoever in the G2G framework, no proxy relationship with the President, and no illicit dealings,” reads the court documents.
“The defendant (Gachagua) acted in actual malice, political jealosy and reckless disregard for the truth. He failed to verify any facts, ignored public records and deliberately chose inflammatory language to incite public outrage for political gain,” said the documents.
They accused Gachagua of alleging that senior officials, including those at the Kenya Pipeline Company and the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), had orchestrated parallel fuel importation deals without the President’s knowledge, generating hundreds of millions of shillings.
The plaintiffs contend that the remarks portrayed them as participants in unlawful dealings, thereby injuring their reputation, credibility, and business standing.
They maintained that the claims are entirely false and unsubstantiated, asserting that Stabex has no role or involvement in the G2G petroleum procurement framework. The suit further stated that the company operates as a legitimate oil marketing firm with a wide presence across East Africa, including over 200 retail stations and multiple bulk depots supplying regional markets.
Chebet denied any proxy relationship with President Ruto or any other individual.
The court documents indicated that the plaintiffs, through their lawyers, issued a demand letter to Gachagua on April 9, 2026, seeking an immediate public retraction and unconditional apology. However, they claim he has failed to comply, aggravating the alleged harm.
The plaintiffs are now seeking general and exemplary damages, as well as a permanent injunction to restrain Gachagua from publishing or repeating the alleged defamatory statements.
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