- An old video of William Ruto criticizing Uhuru Kenyatta on fuel prices is back online following the new increase announced by EPRA
- The campaign clip before 2022 shows Ruto accusing the government of the time for rising fuel costs and burdening the people
- Kenyans have associated it with the current state of oil prices, while the government explains that the increase is motivated by international challenges and regulatory measures such as reducing VAT
Old video of William Ruto throwing spades at him Uhuru Kenyatta about high fuel prices has spread rapidly at a time when EPRA has announced the largest increase in fuel prices in more than two decades.
There is an old Kenyan saying that politicians have short memories. But the internet? The internet never forgets.
Video of the President William Ruto when he was Deputy President under Uhuru Kenyatta, criticizing his boss with strong emotions about the suffering caused by high oil prices has spread again, and his timing could not be worse for the Head of State.
The clip, which has been distributed on social networks including X (formerly Twitter), TikTokand Facebook, shows an angry Ruto on the campaign trail, directly blaming the Kenyatta administration for the high cost of fuel and its impact on ordinary Kenyans.
In the days leading up to the 2022 election, Ruto and his UDA allies were aggressively attacking former President Uhuru Kenyatta over the rise in fuel prices, promising to control what they called the rise in prices fueled by corruption within the then government.
In one clip that Kenyans continue to distribute, Ruto accused corrupt gangs in the Ministry of Petroleum, questioning why the price of oil in Kenya was higher than Uganda despite Uganda importing oil through Kenya.
“The corruption cartel that is there is causing the price of oil to exceed the price of oil in Uganda,” he announced.
In another clip that surfaced, he was just as candid:
“These people do not understand the damage they are doing to the people and the economy of Kenya with these taxes they are increasing day and night,” said Ruto while speaking at Sugoi Road Market along Turbo Road ahead of the 2022 elections.
His allies were not far behind. Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, a close ally of Ruto, was caught saying:
“Now it has become sad, merciless and uncaring for the government we elected that their activity every day is to increase the cost of living for Kenyans.”
Coming Back Now: Prices Hit Historic Highs
The reason these old videos are circulating again is obvious. On April 14, 2026, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) announced an increase in fuel prices that shocked the entire country.
In Nairobi, super petrol is now selling at KSh 206.97 per litre, up by KSh 28.69 from KSh 178.28, while diesel rose by KSh 40.30 to reach an all-time high of KSh 206.84, the biggest one-month increase for any petrol product in at least 21 years of price records, surpassing the previous record set in September 2022 by 61 per cent.
The average import cost of Super petrol increased by 41.53 percent between December 2025 and January 2026, while diesel rose by 68.72 percent over the same period.
Oil prices in Kenya have reached their highest level in almost three years, fueled by the effects of the war with Iran that has affected the world economy.
Oil prices are a major contributor to inflation in East Africa’s largest economy and have a domino effect on the cost of food, transport, electricity and industrial production.
The government has tried to minimize the impact. It has reduced the VAT on petroleum products from 16% to 13% and used approximately KSh 6.2 billion from the Petroleum Development Levy Fund to control prices. Without the measure, petrol would have risen to KSh 37 per liter and diesel to KSh 70.
The irony is not lost on Kenyans
The video has brought back a debate that Kenyans love on social media: the gap between campaign promises and the reality of leadership.
Netizens dug up the video soon after EPRA announced the price increase, with many noting that the President seems to be learning the hard way that what goes online stays online.
What makes the circulation of this video even more intense is that Ruto also ignored the statement of Uhuru who blamed the war on Russia and Ukraine to Kenya’s economic problems.
On 1 May 2022 during the Labor Day Celebration, Uhuru linked the high cost of living to the war between Russia and Ukraine, a cause that Ruto and his camp openly mocked.
Now, the Ruto government itself is citing wars in the Middle East and international supply shocks as the reason for the price hikes he was criticizing earlier.
The Matatu Servicemen’s Party (MAK) has also used the opportunity, calling on President Ruto’s government to restore the oil subsidy that was canceled after coming to power.
“The removal of subsidies has exposed ordinary Kenyans to major price shocks that directly affect food, transport and business activities,” the party said.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
