Two Cents Leadership Institute Managing Director Mundalo Advice has urged political leaders to stop politicising national crises such as fuel price hikes, saying such issues are often used to “milk political capital” rather than focus on practical solutions for citizens.
He warned that Kenya’s debate on fuel pricing has increasingly been shaped by partisan contestation instead of objective analysis of economic realities.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation on Monday, Mundalo said “one of our biggest problems in Kenya is the politicization of everything,” arguing that both government and opposition actors routinely shift blame depending on who holds power.
“Not every matter is a political matter. When there is a crisis in the country, all of us must sit down and seek solutions for the country, not to milk political capital out of a crisis,” he said.
He criticised what he described as a recurring cycle where opposition leaders highlight national challenges without offering alternatives, while governments respond defensively instead of transparently addressing concerns.
“We have a situation in Kenya whereby most of the time the political class, when you are in the opposition, you really wish that government does very badly, so that it gives you an advantage,” he noted.
On fuel prices specifically, Mundalo said Kenya’s higher pump prices compared to neighbouring countries are largely structural and not simply the result of policy failure.
He pointed to taxation levels, infrastructure demands, and product standards as key drivers. “We have slightly more taxes on our fuel than them… because our maintenance that is required is higher than the others,” he said, adding that Kenya maintains “over 20,000 kilometres of road” compared to significantly less in neighbouring states.
He also argued that comparisons with regional peers are often misleading. “Sometimes you are not comparing apples to apples. You might be comparing apples to oranges,” he said, noting differences in fuel quality standards and regulatory systems.
According to him, Kenya’s higher standards contribute to increased costs but also reflect broader infrastructure investment.
Mundalo further cautioned against what he called “political gimmicks” in regional comparisons, saying fuel pricing differences with Uganda and Tanzania are not new and have existed historically.
“This fuel has always been cheaper in this place because of the nature of the economy,” he said.
He urged a more balanced national conversation, saying citizens and leaders alike should prioritise evidence-based debate.
“At the end of the day, governments get money from the taxes of the people,” he said, adding that while improvements are possible, public discourse should avoid distortion driven by political interests.
His remarks follows President Ruto’s defence of Kenya’s fuel pricing structure, attributing higher costs at the pump to the country’s development status and extensive infrastructure obligations. Speaking during a church service at the Africa Gospel Church (AGC) in Karen, Nairobi on Sunday, the President said Kenya’s fuel prices cannot be fairly compared with those of neighbouring countries because of differences in economic classification and infrastructure responsibilities. “Kenya is a middle income country… compare Kenya with other middle income countries,” Ruto said, arguing that regional comparisons often ignore key structural realities shaping domestic fuel costs. He added that a significant portion of fuel-related levies directly supports road construction and maintenance across the country, making the pricing system integral to Kenya’s broader development agenda. “Our fuel supports transport infrastructure… we have 20,000 kilometers of tarmac to maintain, and we have 6,000 kilometers under construction,” he said. Ruto further noted that Kenya’s infrastructure footprint is substantially larger than that of its regional peers, insisting that this scale of development inevitably translates into higher maintenance and financing needs. He maintained that fuel levies remain a critical funding mechanism for sustaining ongoing and planned road projects across the country.