Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has come out strongly against Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro, criticizing the legislator’s claims that Kenya’s high fuel prices are the result of excessive taxation rather than global market dynamics.
Speaking during the commissioning of rural electrification projects in Kajiado West sub-county on Thursday, Wandayi defended the recent fuel price hike, linking it to the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, which he says has triggered a worldwide spike in oil prices.
“Rafiki yangu Ndindi Nyoro mbunge wa Kiharu ameanza kuharibika kwa sababu anatoa matamshi ambayo haina maana,” Wandayi said.
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“Vita kati ya Iran na Israel ndiyo imesababisha bei ya mafuta dunia mzima iende juu kidogo, ndiposa sisi hapa Kenya tukapata nyongeza kidogo ya bei wiki iliyopita.”
Wandayi insisted that the increase was modest and in line with global trends, arguing that Kenya’s fuel prices remain comparatively lower than those in other African nations of similar economic standing.
“Wenye wanapiga kelele wamekuwa kimya wakati bei ya mafuta inashuka chini. Tukilinganisha bei ya mafuta Kenya na zile nchi za Afrika ambazo ziko kiwango ya Kenya kimaendeleo, bei yetu ya mafuta bado iko chini,” he noted.
Electricity Prices Not Affected, CS Says
Addressing widespread speculation that rising fuel prices would lead to increased electricity tariffs, the Cabinet Secretary dismissed such concerns as baseless.
“Ile uvumi ambayo watu wengine wanaeneza ya kwamba bei ya stima inapanda hiyo ni porojo,” he stated.
“Bei ya stima imekuwa ikishuka katika hii nchi for the last 20 years na wakati inashuka hawaongei.”
Wandayi emphasized that Kenya’s electricity pricing is not directly linked to short-term changes in global oil prices, and assured the public that the government remains committed to maintaining affordability and stability in the energy sector.
Ndindi Nyoro: Blame the Taxes, Not the War
Wandayi’s remarks come in response to an earlier press briefing by MP Ndindi Nyoro, where he laid the blame squarely on the government for what he termed “exorbitant taxes and levies” that continue to burden Kenyan consumers.
“The current price of petrol is Ksh186. If you cross the border to Tanzania, petrol prices are Ksh142; Uganda is below Ksh180; Ethiopia is below Ksh125; and Rwanda is below Ksh170,” Nyoro argued.
The Kiharu legislator dismissed the war in the Middle East as a convenient excuse and pointed to Kenya’s fuel tax structure as the real issue. He highlighted the recent introduction of a Ksh7 fuel levy as one of the hidden contributors to the inflated prices.
“The government introduced a levy of Ksh7, which is why when global oil prices went down, Kenya never noticed—because that was when the levy was introduced,” he said.
A Growing Rift
The public spat underscores growing tensions between members of the ruling coalition over the country’s economic direction, especially as citizens grapple with the rising cost of living.
As the two leaders continue to trade barbs over fuel pricing, many Kenyans are left hoping for less blame-shifting and more action to ease the financial pressure at the pump.
Whether the government will revisit its fuel taxation policies in light of growing public discontent remains to be seen.