By Tijani Salami and Jane Otai —
Kenya’s recent fuel crisis has left petrol pumps dry. Politicians are blaming each other and giving varied reasons for the shortage, from the government being inept to government plans to increase prices in an effort to get money for campaigning to the misappropriation of funds meant to subsidize the cost of fuel. Others have pointed a finger at the current war in Russia vs Ukraine as the cause. No matter the reason, it’s causing much suffering, especially for those at low-income levels, and the government must do more to solve the problem.
According to the Borgen Project report, around 35.5% of Kenya’s population is living below the poverty line. More than one-third of the entire country lives on less than the U.S. $1.90 per day. Much of Kenya is rural land, which contributes to high rates of the population living in poverty. With a lack of fuel in the country, the situation is worse. The current prices of food, travelling, school supplies, and health care have sky-rocketed to levels that are not affordable…