Kenya’s Most Vulnerable Families are Paying For a War They Didn’t Start. Demand Government Act.
27 April 2026
NAIROBI — Fight Inequality Alliance (FIA) Kenya is demanding immediate action to protect ordinary Kenyans from the spiralling cost-of-living crisis that is deepening by the day. Since the US-Israel war on Iran escalated in February 2026, Kenyans have been bearing the brunt of its effects. Fuel prices have hit record highs, transport fares have risen, and food prices are beyond reach for many. Once again, those who can least afford it are being asked to carry the heaviest burden.
The government has responded by cutting VAT on fuel by 50% and deploying billions of shillings from the Petroleum Development Levy Fund to hold down pump prices. The cut, however, only restores a burden the same government created in 2023 when it raised it from 8% to 16%.
Yet Kenyans are still paying more at the pump than before the government's intervention.
Emily Odongo, a Kisumu resident says: “Every time there is a global crisis, we pay for it here. We neither started this war nor are part of it. But we are the ones who cannot afford to eat properly because of it. The government says they have intervened. But the cost of my bus fare and cooking gas have gone up. I am afraid things might get worse if the war doesn't end soon.”
This crisis arrives on top of years of price rises that have already pushed millions to the edge. The cost of food, transport, and basic services was already stretching household budgets long before the war started. For many, the real question is how much more they can take before they are forced to choose between buying food and paying hospital bills.
Meanwhile, oil and commodity traders globally are making billions of dollars from the same crisis pushing Kenyans to the edge.
The government has the tools to act and the responsibility to deploy them to protect its citizens.
- Get emergency relief directly to households with nothing left to fall back on.
- Freeze domestic taxes and levies
- Windfall taxes for companies making large profits from a crisis their customers are struggling to survive must be made to pay their fair share in taxes.
"This global crisis follows the same pattern as everyone before it - the wealthy are insulated while everyone else absorbs the shock. The question for our government is whether it has the will to act for ordinary Kenyans. Gen Z have already made clear what they want to happen, and they will be on the streets once again demanding what's owed to them. The country has the resources and tools and this crisis demands our leaders to use them for the benefit of ordinary Kenyans, the 99%," says Brenda Osoro, FIA Kenya National Coordinator.
The National Treasury, National Assembly, Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), and the entire Cabinet must do more for the 99%. The protection measures in place fall well short of what this crisis demands.
Fight Inequality Alliance have launched a global campaign to address the cost of living crisis in Kenya and across the world. Take action at fightinequality.org
#TheyProfitWePay