Kalonzo urges patience over cost of living

The government has urged Kenyans to be patient as it moves to address the rising cost of living.

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka said everything was being done to bring down the cost of fuel and food.

Speaking at Prisons Officers’ Mess in Nairobi West Tuesday, the VP said Monday's government decision to reduce excise duty on diesel and kerosene should be appreciated.

Mr Musyoka hoped the demonstrations called by civil society to protest the rising cost of living would be peaceful.

“Kenyans are speaking up because of the high cost of fuel. I hope the demonstrations that have been called will just be peaceful ones and not laced with political contradictions,” the VP said.

He said the move by Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta and his Energy counterpart Kiraitu Murungi to lower excise duty on diesel and kerosene by 20 and 30 percent respectively “shows this is a caring government".

As Mr Musyoka spoke, hundreds marched in various city streets to protest against the high cost of fuel and food.

The protest march, which was organised by the Consumers Federation of Kenya, begun at Nairobi’s Uhuru Park, where former Kabete MP Paul Muite accused the government of pandering to the wishes of the rich by failing to implement an effective economic and social policy programme.

“As a country, we cannot claim to be sovereign when we keep on begging for food as we have been unable to feed our own people.

“The government should urgently reduce the price of essential food stuff and ensure matatu fares are also reduced,” Mr Muite said.

The demonstrators, who carried placards, marched through Processional Way, Kenyatta Avenue, Kimathi Street, City Hall and Harambee Avenue.

Former Constitution of Kenya Review Commission chair Yash Pal Ghai described the protest march as “ wake-up call” for the government to address the plight facing a majority of poor Kenyans.

“The price of maize meal and other essential commodities should be reduced to cushion the poor against the high cost of living,” Mr Ghai said.

The protestors were demanding that the price of a two kilogramme packet of maizemeal flour should be reduced to Sh45, paraffin Sh30 per litre and petrol Sh80 per litre. The demonstrators, also picketed outside the Treasury, Prime Minister’s and Office of the President buildings before assembling outside the gates of Parliament Buildings where they accosted some MPs as they accessed the House.

Among the MPs who was briefly accosted was Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba who described the protestors as “heroes who were representing the wishes of millions of Kenyans”.

The Cofek secretary general Stephen Mutoro, in a petition termed the belated reduction of import duty on kerosene and diesel “ as though welcome, amounting to too little, too late”.

Similar protests were held in Mombasa.