Ruto now says the Ksh.300 cooking gas he promised 'not possible by June'

The lowering of gas cylinder prices to a low of between Ksh.300 and Ksh.500 for a 6-kilogram barrel will not be possible by June as earlier promised, President William Ruto said Sunday.

Ruto had on March 2 said, “In order to reduce the gas prices we will remove the tax, the gas cylinders you buy will move from Ksh.2800 to Ksh.300 or Ksh.500 from the month of June."

But in a joint media interview with journalists at State House, Nairobi, the president said the plan was no longer possible within the said timeline.

He said approval for the plan had to be made in the next fiscal year’s budget which takes effect on July 1.

“We must first approve this in the budget. As of now, there is no way to waive the tax until a new budget is passed. June 1 is not possible until we pass it through Parliament,” Ruto said.

“If we had passed it through the supplementary budget, June would be possible. But we tried to and it was not possible because it would force us to change a certain law.”

He however assured Kenyans the plan is still in place, saying “We have planned it well and it is in our budget. We will also securitise the tax levied on kerosene to lower gas prices.”