President William Ruto addresses lawmakers during the Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group meeting at State Hous, Nairobi, on November 7, 2023.
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Bring back fuel subsidy to lower cost of living, Kenya Kwanza MPs tell President Ruto
What you need to know:
- President Ruto reportedly told MPs that some of the challenges facing the country were due to the debt burden incurred by the previous government.
- President Ruto scrapped the fuel subsidy that was introduced by his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta as soon as he took office.
Kenya Kwanza MPs on Tuesday (November 7) told President William Ruto that their constituents were becoming increasingly hostile to them due to the high cost of living occasioned by expensive fuel and new taxes.
Nation has established that, during the meeting of the ruling coalition’s parliamentarians at State House in Nairobi, the lawmakers pleaded with the President to reintroduce fuel subsidies to cushion Kenyans against the rising cost of fuel in the next review mid this month.
The MPs reportedly told the Head of State that they have become unpopular in their constituencies because of some of the government’s policies, including high taxation, which they said went against Dr Ruto’s bottom-up economic approach and his promise to bring down the cost of living.
Flatly rejected
According to a lawmaker who attended the meeting on Tuesday morning, the President flatly rejected the push for a fuel subsidy, saying, it was unsustainable.
He only referred to a stabilisation fund, which, he said, his government would use to curb rising fuel prices. Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir had said on Monday that prices could reach Sh300 per litre in the coming months as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas. President Ruto reportedly told MPs that they only need to be “popular at the right time and not all the time”.
Nominated Senator Veronica Maina is said to have raised the matter with the President, telling him that the Kenya Kwanza government should find ways to cushion Kenyans, according to MPs present.
Several sources who spoke to Nation confirmed that the fuel crisis was a matter of concern, with some MPs suggesting that the Kenya Kwanza administration was becoming unpopular because of some of its policies.
“The government does not add fuel costs. The President does not add fuel costs. It is the international cost of crude oil that has affected our local cost,” one member quoted the President as saying.
President Ruto reportedly told MPs that some of the challenges facing the country were due to the debt burden incurred by the previous government.
“There was a request from a member that the government should consider removing some taxes on fuel, but the President corrected the MP that the executive did not add taxes on fuel. He said the high prices are because of the price of the dollar, the price of fuel on the world market,” said another member.
Create jobs
President Ruto rode to power last year on lofty promises to create jobs for millions of unemployed youth, prioritise the needs of low-income earners and reduce the cost of living. But new tax measures that came into force on July 1 have made life more expensive while hitting businesses hard with high taxes.
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary-General Cleophas Malala told Nation that, without the stabilisation fund, fuel prices would be higher.
He said fuel subsidy was not an option the Kenya Kwanza regime could use to reduce the cost of petrol, describing it as unsustainable. President Ruto scrapped the fuel subsidy that was introduced by his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta as soon as he took office.
“The high fuel prices are due to external market forces. It is beyond the control of the government. Prices would be higher if the stabilisation fund was not in place,” said Mr Malala, who also attended the State House meeting.
MPs who attended the meeting also revealed that several members of the ruling alliance are opposed to the planned deployment of police officers to Haiti. The lawmakers, particularly those from Rift Valley, are said to have cited local security challenges in parts of the country, which, they said, would be deprived of critical personnel if such a deployment takes place.
They told the President that the deployment had the potential to undermine the country’s internal security. The MPs cited security challenges in Baringo, Lamu and other parts of the country.
Some were concerned that the deployment could be disastrous for the police officers. But the President told them that his government was not reckless enough to deploy officers without considering their safety.
“The members are against the peace mission. But the President is really pushing for it. He said it must be done. He asked members to approve it when it comes to parliament,” said a Rift Valley lawmaker who was present.
“He told us that our internal security would not be compromised because that was the main concern of most members,” added the MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The country is planning to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti.
The Caribbean nation has faced a worsening security crisis in recent years, with murderous gangs forcing thousands of people to flee their homes for safer areas.
The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution in early October to deploy an international security force led by Kenya.
Another lawmaker who attended the State House meeting said the President told MPs that Kenya would reap some financial benefits from the deployment.
He also said that the country would not spend a penny on the mission as all expenses would be covered by the United Nations.
The President reportedly told the MPs that Kenya was nominated because the police would be similar in appearance to the Hiatians, who are also black.
“The President said Kenya was chosen because of compatibility. The people there are black like Kenyans. He told us there were other nations that wanted to be part of the mission, but Kenya was considered,” said another MP.
“He said we will not spend a single coin. Although he did not say it clearly, the President indicated that Kenya would benefit [financially] from the mission,” the MP revealed.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has pledged $100 million (Sh15.14 billion) to support the mission. It is not clear whether Kenya would benefit directly from the fund.
“The President explained that Kenya’s support was sought by the international community because of its disciplined service in past foreign missions,” said another member.
Another source said: “The president said Kenya hadn’t applied and the international community had praised our security officers for a good job. He said he didn’t wake up and decided to send NPS officers to Haiti.”
Mr Malala, without directly addressing the concerns raised by the ruling alliance MPs during the PG, said Kenya’s selection for the Haiti mission was an accolade for the country on the global stage. Mr Malala said dismissed MPs who raised internal security challenges, saying, local security concerns should not be a reason for Kenya not to help the troubled Caribbean nation.
Mr Malala insisted that the police themselves were ready for the mission.
“So many other nations applied, but we were chosen without applying because of our track record in other missions. We are black, the Haitians are black. So they are compatible,” he explained.
The National Security Council, through Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, has formally sought parliamentary approval for the deployment.
The planned deployment was temporarily halted by the High Court following a petition by politician Ekuru Aukot’s Thirdway Alliance party.
Dr Aukot had argued in the petition that Kenya’s Constitution restricts police officers to operating within Kenya’s borders.
Haitian government
He also questioned the move, saying, there had been no request from the Haitian government.
Dr Aukot has also accused the President of planning to deploy police officers outside Kenya at a time when security officers have failed to contain tribal violence in Lamu County, where members of one community have been targeted for killings.
While defending the planned deployment, Prof Kindiki has reiterated that the country’s participation in the mission will not compromise or undermine internal security.
“The hunt for bandits, terrorists and other armed criminals will continue as the government balances its national and international obligations,” he said in Meru recently.
He added: “It is a great honour for Kenya not only to be considered to contribute troops to the peacekeeping mission in Haiti, but also to lead the exercise. We will succeed in Haiti as we have in previous peacekeeping missions.”
