Cost of living must feature in all campaigns

Mwangi Wa Iria

Usawa Kwa Wote party leader and Murang'a County Governor Mwangi Wa Iria leads citizens through city streets of Nairobi on a peaceful demonstration on June 28, 2022 while calling on the government to reduce the price of maize flour.

Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Locally, a key concern has been an increasingly stringent tax regime, which has increased levies on fuel and food. 
  • It is not enough to talk about monthly allocations or even better business environments to Kenyans as a vague and overarching solution. 

Since the end of last year, there has been a steady rise in the cost of fuel, which has rolled over to affect the cost of goods and services, and the wider cost of living, which is causing suffering to many Kenyans. There are several contributing factors, both internal and external.

The first is that this is in part a global phenomenon. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which are global producers of wheat, has reduced supplies of this essential commodity. Russia is also an oil producer and fertiliser manufacturer, and Kenya imports a significant amount of both.

Secondly, global economies are still in slow recovery from the debilitating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and its effects on global supply chains. 

Locally, however, a key concern has been an increasingly stringent tax regime, which has increased levies on fuel and food. 

The price of cooking oil, specifically, has shot up by upwards of 30 per cent. When we add this to the climate changes, which have resulted in less rain, increased livestock deaths and reduced harvest, as well as constant reminders of how much infrastructural debt Kenya has taken on, the situation seems cumulatively unsolvable.

When the people’s concerns are as immediate and urgent as these are, any electoral campaign focused on the optics of a leader’s personality or a blanket of proposed change their party can bring is shockingly inappropriate and out of touch. 

Challenging circumstances 

Kenyans need relief now, and anyone who intends to form a government must demonstrate that they have the knowledge, technical and communication ability to take on this large collection of challenging circumstances in ways that will bring relief in the short and medium terms.

All political parties must immediately add to their campaign the acknowledgement that these are the issues Kenyans are facing now. Further to this, any wise politician would seek to explain how they would work to increase state shielding and cushioning mechanisms, simultaneously via law-making and policy change, as well as direct resource movement, to benefit the most vulnerable first, and everyone else by proxy. It is not enough to talk about monthly allocations or even better business environments to Kenyans as a vague and overarching solution. 

The public is also paying out of pocket for health and education; a full recalibration in favour of quality public services is desperately needed to lift the pressure on people’s pockets. 

In addition, the aim should be to ensure that such a crisis does not catch Kenyans off guard again, and outlining any future protective measures for the public to understand is necessary. 

This campaign period is, therefore,  an opportune moment for all aspiring leaders to prove that they have the people’s best interests at the core of their agendas. Dealing properly with the current cost of living crisis will be key to anyone’s success at the ward, county and national levels.

Ms Okore is a policy analyst; [email protected]