President William Ruto claims he cannot control the nation's rising gas prices.
Over 200 MPs attended a parliamentary group meeting called by President Ruto, the party leader of the UDA and the Kenya Kwanza Coalition. The main topic of discussion was the high cost of living, primarily due to the increase in fuel prices.
According to sources with access to the meeting, leaders expressed concerns to Citizen TV about how the rising fuel cost is making life difficult for millions of Kenyans and making the regime unpopular with the general public. The Head of State claimed that this issue was not interfering with his sleeping ability because his hands were tied.
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MPs questioned Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir during his appearance before the National Assembly Energy Committee regarding Kenya's inability to lower fuel prices compared to its neighboring states.
An MP stated, "As we speak, prices are going down in Tanzania while they are rising in Kenya."
In his response, Chirchir said: "The product in Tanzania or Uganda will not be cheaper than Kenya on account of freight and premium it will be because of taxes. We will always be lower on freight and premium and that's why I said we need a wider scope of time to discuss and take members through what was negotiated."
The officials from the Ministry of Energy have also linked the variations in fuel prices between our nation and our neighbors to the appreciation of their respective currencies about the Kenyan shilling due to fluctuations in the dollar exchange rate.
Next week, Kenya Kwanza MPs will convene again as a Parliamentary Group to talk about the skyrocketing cost of fuel, which is still causing hardship for Kenyans at the pump.