Kenyans have been driven to their knees. The cost of living has skyrocketed and no longer bearable.
The majority were already living from hand to mouth and with the latest increase in fuel prices, they can no longer make ends meet. They cannot put food at the table at the end of the day nor can they afford to pay schools fees or rent.
Many are being forced to hold two or three jobs just to support their families. This means working until late everyday including weekends and public holidays. They have little and in most cases absolutely no time to rest.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics about 40 per cent of Kenyans live below the poverty line. This means they cannot afford one dollar a day or one square meal in a day. They spend days without food and are continuously searching for scraps and left overs to feed on.
In different parts of the country, due to hard times and the continuing drought, several counties are facing starvation. These counties include Kwale, Kilifi and Lamu. Already, several people have succumbed to the pangs of hunger and lost their lives.
Due to the challenging times and each individual struggling to fend for themselves, parents have been forced to abscond their parental duties thus leaving children unattended. As a result of this, many young ones are growing up without guidance and role models.
They mainly follow what they see on television and social media. They have no one to show them right from wrong or good from bad. Their main teacher and adviser is the same social media that we complain of having sexually explicit and violent content.
Across the country, there are reports of youth gangs mushrooming. They take the form of community policing and garbage collection but in many cases, they are extorting, killing and injuring at will.
In various towns, they are now competing for recognition by politicians so that they are considered for hire during campaigns. So fierce is the competition that the gangs are attacking and killing each other. Their desperation is directly connected to the harsh economic times.
Despite the suffering, the state continues to hike the prices of commodities. Every month, the cost of fuel goes up, which in turn raises the costs of all goods and services. Fuel is the common denominator of all prices.
When the price of fuel goes up, the price of all goods and services will also go up. Presently, as a result of the fuel hike, matatus are considering hiking fares and this will have a domino effect. The state therefore is making the situation more difficult and disadvantages its own citizens.
Kenyans are already reeling from the effects of Covid-19 as many are losing jobs and closing down their businesses. Ordinarily, the state is supposed to subsidise the cost of goods and reduce the economic effect on citizens.
In the West, including the US and Europe, many governments are presently assisting their population to recover from the difficult economic times. However, in Kenya, the cost of living is worsening with no respite. Citizens have been left on their own.
As we approach the elections, Kenyans are becoming more desperate. There is a strong belief by many that the challenges being faced will get worse as elections near. Politicians will cause tension and this will lead to uncertainty.
The uncertainty will affect the stock markets, which will weaken the shilling. When the shilling weakens, prices of commodities will go up. The coming months are therefore going to get tougher and the economic situation more challenging. Kenyans will need to tighten their belts.
Article 43 of the Constitution of Kenya provides that every Kenyan has the right to the highest attainable standards of health. And to accessible and adequate housing, to be free from hunger, to have enough safe water in and to education.
As the cost of living becomes unbearable, the enjoyment of these rights is at risk. Kenyans will do well to safeguard these rights and ensure they are not trampled on by those in power. This will only be attained if we pull together to defend social justice.
(Edited by V. Graham)
