Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki has urged Kenyans to stay patient as the government is rolling out measures to help households and businesses cope with the high fuel prices.
He was speaking at his official home in Irunduni, Tharaka Nithi County where he was responding to a gathering of Chuka Igambang’ombe residents.
According to Prof. Kindiki, a major factor behind the recent fuel price hike, is the global oil market turmoil caused by foreign geopolitical tensions where domestic policy failure is only a minor factor.
The second in command disclosed that conflict and supply disturbances in the international oil market have raised the price of crude oil, which translates into more expensive fuel not only for Kenya but also globally .
Kindiki gave wananchi assurance that the government is, in fact, watching the matter closely, and they have already made arrangements to protect citizens against extreme effects of cost increases.
“We politicize the oil issue, but the reality is we do not have any of our own fuel. Let us not create political issues out of fuel, ” Kindiki stressed, calling on both leaders and citizens to avoid blame games and concentrate on working out solutions.
He stated that the Kenya Kwanza government is still dedicated to economic recovery and that the increments in fuel prices would not lead to a large-scale cost-of-living crisis.