In the age of the internet, memories never fade, and Kenyans have wasted no time in circulating videos of President William Ruto and his political allies apparently failing to deliver on their promises. Frustration has erupted across social media platforms following the recent significant price hikes for Super Petrol, Diesel, and Kerosene by Ksh.16.96, Ksh.21.32, and Ksh.33.13 per litre, respectively, as announced by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
The primary target of this public anger has been President William Ruto’s government, accused by Kenyans of imposing higher fuel prices and additional taxes, including the contentious Housing Fund levy, which has exacerbated their financial burdens.
Adding salt to the wound is the glaring contradiction between the past and the present. Just a little over a year ago, Ruto, as a candidate, and his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) cohorts were vocally criticizing former President Uhuru Kenyatta for the surging fuel prices. They pledged to combat the rising costs, alleging corruption within the government. Now, social media feeds are inundated with users resharing videos of Dr. Ruto and his associates openly holding Mr. Kenyatta responsible for Kenya’s economic woes during the run-up to the August 2022 elections.
Kenya Kwanza’s frontman made numerous assurances to prioritize and address the country’s economic challenges once he assumed office. However, a substantial portion of the population feels that Ruto has fallen short of his promises in his initial year in office.
In line with the saying, “the internet never forgets,” Kenyans have promptly resurrected videos of Ruto and his associates making seemingly empty commitments to the nation. In another campaign event, Ruto attributed the rising fuel costs to shadowy cartels and questioned why Kenya’s fuel prices were higher than Uganda’s, despite Uganda importing fuel through Kenya. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi also found himself in the crosshairs when an old video of him criticizing EPRA for announcing fuel price hikes resurfaced. While the government attributes the increase in fuel costs and the subsequent rise in the cost of living to international factors, many have unearthed videos of Ruto castigating Uhuru for blaming the Ukraine-Russia conflict for Kenya’s economic predicament.
On May 1, 2022, during Labor Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, President Uhuru attributed the soaring cost of living to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which had escalated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. As Kenyans brace themselves for more challenging times ahead, they find themselves reminiscing about the campaign promises that they had hoped would materialize sooner rather than later.
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