Gladys Boss says Israel - Hamas war to worsen cost of living in Kenya

National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss has cited the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine as well as the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza as contributing factors to the recent hike in fuel prices in the country.
The Uasin Gishu Woman Representative stressed that the international tensions have exacerbated the surge in pump prices that have not been received well by Kenyans.
"We have the Russia and Ukraine war which has also worsened the situation. What's more, the conflict between Israel and Hamas will also cause more problems," she said as quoted by The Standard on Wednesday, October 18.
Gladys Boss also pointed out that the depreciation of the Kenyan shilling has played a crucial role in making fuel prices even more challenging for the country.
The Kenyan shilling weakened to a new low on Monday, October 16, with the exchange rate reaching Ksh.149.35 against the US dollar.
“Our currency will be devalued because remember, anything we import, we pay using US dollars; so as long as our shilling is not strong, we will always suffer from high fuel prices,” Gladys Boss explained.
However, Gladys Boss noted that the Government had taken proactive steps to mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices.
She stated that the Kenya Kwanza regime had utilized the Petroleum Development Levy Fund (PDLF) to establish a fuel stabilization fund, which in turn, helped save Kenyan citizens from even higher fuel costs.
“The Government was able to use the Petroleum Development Levy money to create a fuel stabilization fund. So in fact, if the fuel stabilization fund had not come in, we'd be looking at double the current increase that we are having,” she said.
Gladys Boss further urged Kenyans to trust in the Kenya Kwanza government's efforts to address the situation.
“We must tell ourselves as Kenyans that we must not give up hope because these are times when things are tough, and we must tighten our belts,” she remarked.
“Everything that can be done is being done, and what we seek from Kenyans is patience to allow us the opportunity to get through this challenging period.”
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) recently announced an increase in fuel prices, raising petrol prices by Ksh.5.72 per litre, diesel by Ksh.4.48, and kerosene by Ksh.2.45.
As a result of the changes by the energy board, petrol is now being sold at a record price of Ksh.217.36 per litre, diesel at Ksh.205.47, and kerosene at Ksh.205.06.