Lawyer Willis Otieno has warned that rising fuel prices in Kenya have gone beyond being an economic challenge and have now transformed into a major social crisis affecting millions of ordinary citizens.

Taking to his official X account in the wee hours of Saturday, May 16, 2026, the Safina Deputy Party Leader said the continued increase in petrol and diesel prices is triggering widespread economic pain across households and businesses, with the burden falling heavily on struggling Kenyans.

“Fuel prices in Kenya have now evolved from an economic concern into a full-blown social crisis,” Otieno stated.

He explained that every rise in fuel prices immediately affects almost every sector of the economy, causing a ripple effect that pushes up the cost of transport, food, electricity, and other essential services.

“Every increase in petrol and diesel prices immediately cascades across the economy; transport fares rise, food becomes more expensive, electricity costs surge, and small businesses are pushed closer to collapse,” he stated.

Ordinary Kenyans bearing the burden

Otieno argued that ordinary citizens are carrying the heaviest burden as wages remain stagnant while the cost of living continues to rise sharply.

“The heaviest burden is not carried by corporations or policymakers, but by ordinary Kenyans whose salaries remain stagnant while the cost of survival keeps escalating,” he said.

He warned against normalising a situation where access to basic mobility, energy, and food security is increasingly becoming unaffordable for many households.

Criticism of government policy

The lawyer further argued that the crisis is no longer solely about global oil prices, but also reflects deeper structural problems within Kenya’s economy.

“This is no longer just about global oil prices; it is about taxation, currency management, energy policy, and the broader economic structure that continues transferring the weight of fiscal failures onto struggling households,” Otieno said.

His remarks appear to target the government’s taxation policies on fuel products, as well as broader economic management strategies that critics say have worsened the cost-of-living crisis.

Growing concern over cost of living

The statement comes amid growing public concern over rising fuel prices and their impact on daily life, particularly after recent increases at the pump sparked fresh debate over taxation and subsidies.

Kiharu Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Ndindi Nyoro has unveiled a set of proposals aimed at significantly reducing fuel prices in Kenya through a combination of tax reforms, subsidies, and margin reductions.

In a press statement issued on Friday, May 15, 2026, Nyoro argued that the proposals, which he says have already been forwarded to Parliament, seek to amend the VAT Act and the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) framework as part of short and medium-term measures to ease the cost of living.

In his statement, Nyoro outlined several interventions he believes could immediately lower pump prices nationwide.

Among the key proposals are the reduction of importers’ and distributors’ margins by Ksh4, the introduction of an additional Ksh5 billion subsidy for diesel through the Fuel Stabilisation Fund, the reduction of VAT by 8% and making of fuel products VAT-exempt, and the removal of the Ksh7 fuel levy introduced in 2024.

He said the measures are designed to address both taxation and supply-side costs that contribute to high fuel prices in the country.