Sorry Mr. Minister, but this is too little too late!

The move by the government of Kenya to reduce the price of kerosene and diesel on Monday 18th April was not done in good faith and was just a reactionary move meant to hoodwink the public. The government, through the Finance Minister, announced that it had reduced the excise duty on kerosene and diesel to cushion the public against increased consumer prices as a result of recently increased fuel prices. The reduction of excise duty of 30% on kerosene and 20% on diesel was meant to reverse the adverse effects on consumers of the increase in prices a week earlier by the Energy Regulation Commission (ERC). The commission had raised the price of fuel by Ksh. 8. Any right thinking member of society would not need to look further than Uganda to realize that the government was only trying to play cheap populist politics. In Uganda, for the last couple of days, government security forces have been engaged in battles with citizens who have been protesting against a rise in consumer prices of goods and services as a result of increased fuel prices. In Kenya, the Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) had announced that it was intending to hold a peaceful nationwide protest march on Tuesday, 19th April, over the rising cost of living occasioned by high fuel prices. Looked at from that perspective, you realize that the government made its announcement just a day before the announced day of protest by Cofek. One can rightly argue that had the consumer federation not announced that it was going to mobilize Kenyans to demonstrate, the government would not have done anything for the good of its citizens. Former Kabete Member of Parliament, Paul Muite was quoted in the East Africa Standard newspaper of 21st April saying that, “It is almost a mockery to Kenyans, especially given that Government taxes on fuel makes for between 45 and 55 per cent of the pump prices. The percentage of duty reduced will not cushion Kenyans.” The Daily Nation newspaper of 21st April also reports that “the rise in prices of basic commodities shows an average 25 per cent jump in their cost between January 1 and Wednesday afternoon” (April 19th). If the government was serious about cushioning its citizens from the adverse effects of rising cost of living, it would not have raised fuel prices earlier, seeing what was happening in Uganda. But it had to wait until the consumer federation made its announcement before it stepped in. That was very reactionary! Why is the government so slow to act when it is the common man who is suffering, yet when it is the rich and mighty in trouble, the government goes to every length to try and save them? All that has been happening in the last couple of days only confirms what people have said previously that, Kenya ina wenyewe (Kenya has its owners), while the majority of us are just squatters. Sorry Mr. Minister, but this is too little too late!