By Ongaga Ongaga
The Democratic Party of Kenya has accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of hiding behind global tensions to deflect blame for the country’s rising fuel costs and worsening economic crisis.
In a statement, Party Leader Justin Muturi said the government’s fiscal mismanagement, excessive taxation, and opaque borrowing schemes are the real drivers of hardship for ordinary citizens.
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“Don’t blame Iran. Don’t blame the Strait of Hormuz. Blame your fiscal mismanagement,” the Party Leader declared, criticizing the administration’s tendency to attribute high fuel prices to instability in the Middle East.
The statement revealed that Kenyans pay KSh 25 per litre under the Road Maintenance Levy Fund, with KSh 12 per litre already committed to infrastructure bonds and Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).
These securitization arrangements have raised nearly KSh 300 billion upfront, but at the cost of mortgaging future taxpayer revenues.
“Ordinary citizens are servicing debts created through off-book borrowing that conceals Kenya’s true debt exposure,” Muturi warned, adding that such practices undermine transparency and prudent public finance management as envisioned under the Constitution.
The Party also criticized the duplication of roles in agencies such as KeRRA and KURA, noting that billions continue to flow into procurement-heavy bureaucracies while millions of Kenyans struggle to afford food, transport, and basic necessities.
The Party Leader reminded the government that during the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency measures were implemented to cushion citizens from hardship.
“The current economic crisis demands similar urgency and sacrifice from government,” Muturi said.
The party has now called for the immediate suspension and parliamentary review of all fuel levy securitization arrangements, insisting that only transparent and accountable fiscal management can restore confidence and ease the burden on Kenyan households.
