Kenyans are growing weary of the blame game played by government officials whenever fuel prices skyrocket. Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi’s recent attempt to pin the surging cost of petroleum products on the Israel-Iran conflict is not just disingenuous it’s insulting to the intelligence of the millions struggling under the weight of high living costs.
Yes, geopolitical tensions do affect global fuel markets, but Kenya is not the only country exposed to these disruptions. Other nations, many with fewer resources than ours, have found practical ways to cushion their citizens whether through strategic fuel reserves, temporary subsidies, or renegotiated oil import deals. Meanwhile, Kenya offers excuses and shifting goalposts.
The reality is that the current fuel crisis didn’t begin with the Middle East conflict. Long before that, Kenyans were already contending with a cocktail of burdens: high taxes, a weakening shilling, ballooning debt repayments, and opaque oil procurement deals that have lacked transparency from the start. Promises made under the Kenya Kwanza economic recovery plan have done little to reduce the pain at the pump.
Uganda and Rwanda, both landlocked and import-reliant, have at times recorded lower fuel prices than Kenya. How is that possible if we supposedly enjoy better access to ports and logistics? Why hasn’t the government clarified the secretive oil deal with Gulf nations that ignored competitive tendering? Why does the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) revise prices monthly with little to no benefit to citizens?
Kenyans are not asking for miracles. We are demanding accountability. A government that blames global conflict while offering no mitigation measures shows poor leadership. CS Mbadi and his peers must stop echoing problems we already know and start implementing solutions.
Leadership means action, not rhetoric. It means shielding citizens from hardship, not simply narrating it. If the Treasury cannot deliver relief or clarity, then it must re-evaluate its role in solving this national crisis.
Kenyans deserve better solutions, not scapegoats.
