Cleophas Malala, Deputy Party Leader of the Democratic Change Party, has intensified criticism of President William Ruto’s administration, accusing it of heavy taxation, rising fuel costs, and what he terms misuse of public funds while citizens continue to struggle with the high cost of living and unmet campaign promises.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Friday, Malala said the burden of high fuel prices was being felt across all sectors of the economy and called for wider consultations involving key stakeholders to address the crisis.
“Fuel affects farmers, it affects matatu owners, it affects manufacturers. Basically, it affects every aspect of life,” he expressed.
He argued that Kenyans were increasingly frustrated because taxes kept going up while public services did not improve.
“Kenyans are not happy to see high prices of fuel, yet they cannot see the services the taxes are used for,” he commented.
Malala also pointed to what he described as a wide gap between the landed cost of fuel and retail prices, saying taxation was driving up costs at the pump.
“The landed cost of fuel at the port is Sh117. The rest that has been uploaded on that figure are taxes,” he explained.
His remarks come just days after nationwide transport protests that disrupted movement across the country were suspended on Tuesday following an agreement between the government and transport operators to continue talks on fuel pricing.
The protests were sparked by sharp increases in pump prices, with diesel rising by 23.5 percent and petrol by eight percent following global supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East.
Under the agreement, the government introduced a Sh10 per litre reduction in diesel prices while consultations continue for one week.
Transport operators had pushed for deeper cuts, saying the high cost of fuel had pushed up fares, food prices, and the overall cost of living.
Malala also took issue with government spending, saying leaders were living in luxury while ordinary Kenyans struggled to meet basic needs such as school fees and healthcare.
“You can see our president now chartering jets,” he said, adding that many Kenyans felt leaders were enjoying luxury while citizens suffered.
“We have children who have not been in school since the schools opened because they lack school fees. Capitation money has delayed textbooks, medical services are at their lowest,” he added.
He dismissed claims that the government lacked money, saying taxpayers continued to contribute heavily despite poor service delivery.
Malala also questioned the increase in State House expenditure, saying it had grown sharply compared to previous administrations.
“State House allocation was Sh4.6 billion during Uhuru's time. At the moment, it’s Sh17.8 billion,” he noted.
Treasury and Controller of Budget reports indicate State House had an annual allocation of about Sh7.7 billion in recurrent spending, though expenditure had reportedly gone beyond Sh10.4 billion by January 2026.
Reports further suggest that total executive spending under President Ruto had reached about Sh89 billion within less than four years, compared to about Sh90 billion spent during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s 10-year term.
Critics have linked the rising costs to travel, hospitality, administrative, and operational expenses within the executive office.
Malala further alleged that State House had become “a political arena” where frequent delegations are hosted.
He also claimed that catering services for State House events had been outsourced to a hotel linked to the President, describing it as a conflict of interest.
On political matters, Malala apologised to Kenyans for supporting Ruto during the 2022 campaign, saying he had believed in the Kenya Kwanza manifesto at the time.
He said that while serving as UDA Secretary General, he had developed a system to track implementation of campaign promises.
According to him, disagreements with the President began after he raised concerns over delays in fulfilling pledges, adding that he was later viewed as an opponent.
He said tensions escalated during the Gen Z protests in June 2024 after he refused to back statements defending the government’s handling of demonstrations.
Malala also warned against what he termed unrealistic political manifestos, saying governments should reassess promises once in office.
He further alleged that the government was relying on the sale of public assets and international loans to fund major infrastructure projects, including roads.
“William Ruto was depending on IMF funds; he was also depending on disposing public assets,” he claimed.
He dismissed claims that criticism of the President was driven by ethnic bias, saying public dissatisfaction was rooted in governance and economic concerns.