Mwanaichi wa kawaida Kenya amebaki confused na hii mchezo ya fuel prices. Last month tu serikali ilitangaza bei ya mafuta imepanda vibaya, wananchi wakalalamika, pressure ikaongezeka online na kwa ground, then ghafla prices zikashushwa kidogo kama “relief.” Sasa barely a month later, boom mafuta imepanda tena.
Na swali ya wengi ni moja: Hii ni planning ama ni trial and error kwa maisha ya Wakenya?
Sai Nairobi, petrol imefika over Ksh.214 per litre while diesel imekaribia Ksh.243. Hii si numbers tu kwa paper. Hii ni fare ya matatu kuongezeka, chakula kupanda, mama mboga kuongeza bei ya nyanya, boda boda kuongeza charges, na mwisho wa siku ni hustler ndiye anabeba mzigo yote.
Mwanaichi wa kawaida hashuki na “global market fluctuations” ama “VAT framework.” Yeye anaelewa kitu moja jana alikua anaweka fuel ya Ksh.500 ikaenda place fulani, leo hiyo hiyo pesa haiwezi mfikisha hata nusu ya route.
Na yenye inauma zaidi ni vile serikali inaonekana kama inafanya experiment na maisha ya watu. Leo wanapandisha, kesho wanashusha kidogo kufanya watu watulie, then after a few weeks wanapandisha tena even higher. Wakenya wanauliza: Hii relief hua ya kusaidia wananchi ama ni PR stunt tu?
Kwa ground, effect tayari imeanza kusikika:
Matatu fares zinatarajiwa kupanda.
Cost ya food delivery itaongezeka.
Small businesses zitaongeza prices.
Watu wa mjengo, mama fua, boda riders na hawkers ndio wataumia zaidi.
Na wakati viongozi wanaongea kuhusu subsidies na billions kutoka Petroleum Development Levy, mwananchi bado anaona wallet yake ikikauka kila siku. Serikali inasema kuna subsidy, but kwa pump bei bado inapanda. So wananchi wanauliza: Hiyo subsidy inaenda wapi kama sisi bado tunalia kwa fuel station?
Kenya sasa imefika place ambapo fuel prices si economic issue pekee — ni mental exhaustion. Kila mwezi mwananchi anaamka na anxiety ya “leo tena imepanda?”
Na ukweli ni huu: when fuel goes up in Kenya, EVERYTHING goes up. Lakini mshahara ya wengi haipandi.
Na swali ya wengi ni moja: Hii ni planning ama ni trial and error kwa maisha ya Wakenya?
Sai Nairobi, petrol imefika over Ksh.214 per litre while diesel imekaribia Ksh.243. Hii si numbers tu kwa paper. Hii ni fare ya matatu kuongezeka, chakula kupanda, mama mboga kuongeza bei ya nyanya, boda boda kuongeza charges, na mwisho wa siku ni hustler ndiye anabeba mzigo yote.
Mwanaichi wa kawaida hashuki na “global market fluctuations” ama “VAT framework.” Yeye anaelewa kitu moja jana alikua anaweka fuel ya Ksh.500 ikaenda place fulani, leo hiyo hiyo pesa haiwezi mfikisha hata nusu ya route.
Na yenye inauma zaidi ni vile serikali inaonekana kama inafanya experiment na maisha ya watu. Leo wanapandisha, kesho wanashusha kidogo kufanya watu watulie, then after a few weeks wanapandisha tena even higher. Wakenya wanauliza: Hii relief hua ya kusaidia wananchi ama ni PR stunt tu?
Kwa ground, effect tayari imeanza kusikika:
Matatu fares zinatarajiwa kupanda.
Cost ya food delivery itaongezeka.
Small businesses zitaongeza prices.
Watu wa mjengo, mama fua, boda riders na hawkers ndio wataumia zaidi.
Na wakati viongozi wanaongea kuhusu subsidies na billions kutoka Petroleum Development Levy, mwananchi bado anaona wallet yake ikikauka kila siku. Serikali inasema kuna subsidy, but kwa pump bei bado inapanda. So wananchi wanauliza: Hiyo subsidy inaenda wapi kama sisi bado tunalia kwa fuel station?
Kenya sasa imefika place ambapo fuel prices si economic issue pekee — ni mental exhaustion. Kila mwezi mwananchi anaamka na anxiety ya “leo tena imepanda?”
Na ukweli ni huu: when fuel goes up in Kenya, EVERYTHING goes up. Lakini mshahara ya wengi haipandi.
