Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has assured Kenyans that the government is taking measures to cushion households and businesses from the impact of rising global fuel prices.
Speaking amid growing concerns over the cost of fuel, Kindiki said the crisis had been triggered by the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, which has disrupted global fuel supply chains and increased transport and insurance costs.
“The sharp increase in fuel prices around the world has resulted from the US/Israel and Iran war which has led to escalation of fuel costs, freight, insurance and logistics,” Kindiki said.
He noted that the government was closely monitoring the situation and had already rolled out interventions aimed at stabilizing prices locally.
Diesel Prices Reduced
Kindiki announced that the government had reduced the price of diesel by KSh10 per litre effective immediately as part of efforts to ease pressure on transport operators, businesses, and consumers.
“Effective today, the price of diesel has been reduced by 10 shillings per litre as a sign of Government commitment to continuous engagement with stakeholders to achieve a sustainable management of the global fuel price spike,” he stated.
The Deputy President added that the government had already spent KSh12 billion over the last two months to subsidize fuel prices and would continue offering support until global prices stabilize.
“VAT has been reduced from 16%, 12 billion shillings has already been used to subsidize fuel prices in the last two months and more subsidies will be applied for future stocks until the situation levels out,” he said.
Balancing Relief Measures and Development
At the same time, Kindiki defended the retention of some taxes on petroleum products, saying the funds are necessary to sustain development projects and essential public services.
According to him, the government must strike a balance between reducing the burden on Kenyans and maintaining funding for critical sectors.
“The remaining portion of tax is essential for the construction of our road infrastructure and the maintenance of the roads to support the economy,” Kindiki said.
“The right balances must be maintained to ensure that as we sort out the fuel price issue, we do not disrupt the funding for other equally important sectors like education and social services,” he added.
Warning Against Violence
The Deputy President also condemned incidents of violence, looting, and destruction witnessed during recent demonstrations linked to fuel price protests.
He warned that criminal activities carried out under the guise of protests threatened national security and economic stability.
“The use of violence, brazen armed robberies, arson and destruction of public and private property by criminal groups threatens our national interests and jeopardizes the future of our nation,” he said.
Kindiki further maintained that leaders should not support acts that endanger citizens and public property.
“Any person sympathetic to criminal activity and terror on citizens doesn’t deserve the privilege of leading at any level or in part of our country,” he added.
