Recent Price Hikes Enraging Kenyans
Recent Price Hikes Enraging Kenyans
Recent Price Hikes Enraging Kenyans
Kenyans from all over the country criticized President William Ruto’s administration’s abrupt decision to raise fuel prices throughout the better part of Friday. Following a string of price increases that were implemented within the first year after Ruto became leadership, demonstrations broke out.
The cost of numerous items increased noticeably between 2022 and 2023, further compounding the difficulties the nation was already facing in the wake of the pandemic. The situation has worsened as a result of numerous taxes that have been proposed and passed, depressing many Kenyans.Fuel prices saw one of the biggest price increases, with a litre of gasoline reaching an all-time high of Ksh 211. This rise was attributed by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) to the Finance Act of 2023’s provision for a 16% Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum goods.
The increase in petrol prices had a cascading effect, which led the Matatu Association to announce fare hikes of between Ksh 30 and Ksh 50, depending on peak and off-peak hours.As an illustration, a matatu that formerly charged Ksh100 during rush hour will now do so between Ksh120 and Ksh150. The peak hours, which currently run from 6:00 am to 8:00 am, will also be extended to last until 10:00 am, according to Brendan Marshall, a senior MOA member and traffic coordinator.
Prices for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) have also skyrocketed. For instance, at Total Energies, refueling a 3 kg gas cylinder now costs Ksh 830, a 6 kg cylinder costs Ksh 1280, and a 13 kg gas cylinder now costs Ksh 2900. On top of that, costs for necessities like cooking oil rose sharply. A litre of cooking oil cost as much as Ksh 450 in 2022; this month, the price has reduced slightly to about Ksh 340, but it is still much higher than pricing from two years ago. Retail costs for flour have been continuously high, at about Ksh 220.Meanwhile, residents of Nairobi have been hit particularly hard due to additional taxes and levies imposed by Governor Sakaja.
Notably, a daily parking price rise to Ksh 300 from Ksh 200 provoked opposition, especially in light of the 16 per cent fuel VAT tax that was then being applied. The governor also increased taxes for street preachers and performers, burdening the citizens of the city even more. For instance, the county government now requires midday preachers in Juvanjee Gardens and Kamukunji Grounds to pay Ksh 500 everyday. Similar to that, there are fees of Ksh 5,000 per hour for music video shootings in selected locations and Ksh 10,000 per hour for commercial video shoots.
