In a recent televised debate, the Investment, Trade, and Industry Cabinet Secretary, Moses Kuria, found himself at the center of a fact-checking storm after making unsubstantiated claims about the price of cooking oil in Kenya. This incident occurred during a joint Royal Media Services production titled ‘The Big Conversation,’ which focused on assessing President William Ruto’s achievements and shortcomings one year into his term.
The controversy began when Citizen TV news anchor Sam Gituku presented the approximate cost of cooking oil in Kenya as of September 13, 2023, at Ksh. 340 per litre. This figure marked a significant decrease from the Ksh. 450 recorded on the same date the previous year. However, CS Kuria took issue with Gituku’s presentation, asserting that measures implemented by the Kenya Kwanza government had lowered the price far more than the reported projection.
When asked by Gituku to provide his estimate, challenging the Ksh. 340 figure, CS Kuria confidently claimed that he had insider information suggesting that the price of cooking oil was at least Ksh. 100 lower than what the esteemed journalist had mentioned.
However, the credibility of CS Kuria’s claim came into question when, less than 20 minutes later, Citizen TV’s reporter, John Wanyama, went live from a Naivas supermarket outlet in the North Rift town. Wanyama conducted a spot-check on the prices of various cooking oil brands available in the store, and the results were illuminating.
Wanyama’s investigation revealed a range of prices for different cooking oil brands. One brand was selling a one-litre bottle for Ksh. 355, another for Ksh. 347, and the relatively more affordable options were priced at Ksh. 307 and Ksh. 325. None of these figures came close to CS Kuria’s assertive claim of a Ksh. 100 reduction in the cost of cooking oil.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of fact-checking and accurate information in public discourse, particularly when discussing matters that impact citizens’ daily lives and budgets. It also underscores the need for transparency and accountability in government statements and claims, ensuring citizens can make informed decisions based on accurate information.
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