The country is currently immersed in a tumultuous presidential election campaign with inflation ranking as the top concern for voters.
Major political coalitions have played a blame game over the growing cost of living.
While ODM leader Raila Odinga blamed the high cost of living on Deputy President William Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza Alliance (KKA) team, the latter attributed the issue to the handshake with President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Several goods, including cooking oil, sugar, maize flour, and LPG gas, have reportedly risen in price recently.
In order to lower living expenses, Ruto argued that quick action is required.
If elected in the August elections, Ruto said his government has pledged to invest in agriculture to ensure food security.
“Before the handshake, a packet of maize flour was retailing at Sh80 but now its at more than Sh200 because, after the political deal, they suspended fertiliser and other farm input subsidies, which has resulted in high prices of food,” said Ruto.
Usawa Kwa Wote Party leader Mwangi Wa Iria urged Kenyans to boycott the polls in August if the government has not reduced the cost of living by then.
The general election should not matter if the cost of maize flour and other essentials will continue to rise, according to Wa Iria, who has threatened to lead state-wide rallies against the high cost of living.
“We know that the government is still paying debts to China but surely how do you pay money to a foreigner when children are dying of hunger for heaven’s sake?” he posed.
The cost of the 2kg packet of flour had increased to Sh140 at the time, which caused Kenyatta political problems as he ran for re-election.
Amid growing public resentment over the exorbitant cost of living, the price has now surpassed the Sh200 barrier for the first time in history, up from an average of Sh148.57 in May.
Last week, the Treasury announced that despite the inflation spike, it will not apply to the law.
The second half of 2022 will not be good with the Russia-Ukraine war showing no signs of de-escalating and Covid-19 making a comeback.
The second half of 2022 will not be good with the Russia-Ukraine war showing no signs of de-escalating and Covid-19 making a comeback.
Russia, the main producer of fertiliser in the world, and Ukraine account for a sizable portion of the world’s exports of agricultural essentials including wheat, corn, and seed oil, all of which might be stopped if the conflict continues. And for many Kenyans, these three things now cost an arm and a leg.
The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Peter Munya suspended the fees and levies on maize last week.
The 90-day suspension was announced barely three days after the CS pledged to announce a notice removing fees and levies on grain in order to “alleviate the hardship on Kenyans.”
After the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) raised prices by Sh9 on June 15, the cost of gasoline has increased by 22 per cent from Sh130 in January to Sh159 at the moment, diesel by 26 per cent from Sh111 to Sh140, and kerosene by 20 per cent from Sh106 to Sh128.
Following a period of industry upheaval in April due to disagreements between oil marketers and the government over subsidies for petroleum products, the marketers hoarded products, harming consumers and businesses.
Stephen Mutoro, the secretary-general of the Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek), claimed that people have been pushed to the limit and requested the government to zero-rate gasoline items whose costs have affected every area of the economy.