How NIS Fooled Kenyans Into Accepting 8% Increase in Fuel Price
Initially, the original intention of the government was to increase VAT on petrol by 8% but given the high inflation rate and the affordable prices of basic consumer commodities, any hiking of petrol price was fundamentally a live wire so the ruling elite needed a strategy.
The plot and how it was executed
It was simple. Hike prices by a margin that doubles the desired price rise then later reduce it by half. However, let a lower ranking government authority absorb the initial heat. Henry Rotich, the CS at the Treasury, is a good choice. Since he is Kalenjin, there will be little protests in the Rift Valley because Rotich’s people would be the last to try and destabilize the government which is theoretically being managed by the Kalenjin through Deputy President, William Ruto and the Kikuyu through Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta.
Things look good because even the radical Luos will not be rushing to the streets to riot because their King, Raila Amolo Odinga, had theoretically brought them into government and now, they are waiting for matunda ya hand-shake. Raila will not be attacking the government because he is busy eating and a man on the eating table is not known to say much. William Ruto is part of the team and has been allowed to loot his way into a billionaire life-style so the government is sure that Rift Valley is well taken care of.
Coast province is cool because not only do they listen to Raila Odinga who is already in the bag but their King-pin, Joho has made peace with Uhuru Kenyatta and accepted that Uhuru sio mlevi. He has also invited Kenyatta to the Coast province to meet wananchi so Mombasa is taken care of.
No riots expected in Western Province
Western people are not known to riot so there should be no worries. Even when their son, Jacob Juma, was allegedly murdered by William Ruto, they never jammed a single alley to protest despite the fact that Juma was a huge potential in the region. Instead, they buried Juma with a knife and torch and appealed to him to hunt his killers by himself in the grave! These Luhyas! They are not like Luos where the government cannot just walk in and kill one of their own without very serious and ubiquitous consequences. They did not riot when Chris Msando was murdered by election riggers because Raila Odinga prevailed upon them by promising them that he would soon take over government and bring Msando’s killers to book.
Besides, the Luhya leaders in Western, Musalia Mudavadi, Moses Wetangula, Bonny Khalwale et al are still very confused following the swallowing of the NASA cruise ship by the Jubilee dragon, a move that effectively terminated the Canaan trip and all ambitions that were attached to the promised land. The Canaanites are back to Egypt while other NASA converts have been convinced that things are at a stand-still because certain crocodiles are still being cleared from River Jordan using the handshake as a sword. Any price rise is therefore unlikely to revive the dreaded “Tibim” and “Tialala” wizards who were threatening to send Uhuru to his retirement to Gatundu through a huge “Lungula dance” at State House.
Raila Odinga sent to cool the crowd
Under the cool circumstances, CS Koech majestically proceeded to announce a 16% increase in fuel prices and as had been expected, there was an outcry across the country. The media gets to work by spewing an overdose of analysis from the elites while politicians who are out of the conspiracy loop exploit the opportunity to increase their profiles by vehemently opposing the price hike. This enables these politicians to increase their public profiles as the “voices of the people”.
In fact, Kenyans vow to go to the streets if the prices are not reduced. However, the truth is that after theft of public funds by the M-Pigs and payment of bogus debts to the Chinese, the government is so broke that fuel prices must go up as a matter of survival.
As the noise continues to fill the air and it looks like there might be a crisis, Raila Odinga is sent in to cool the crowd. He tells them not to worry because the 16% hike will not stick. No one questions Raila how he knows this for sure because the handshake was not legally a certificate for ODM to enter into a Coalition government with Jubilee to enable Raila have sure intelligence which the whole country can rely upon. Nevertheless, Raila says that he will talk to Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure that the petrol prices do not go up by 16% because such an increase is not only high but uncalled for at a time when millions of Kenyans can hardly live from hand to mouth. How did Raila know what he is talking about? He has become part of the conspiracy because he is now the President in waiting. Just watch this space.
More artificial powers sees Koech override Parliament
As public anger increases, the matter is sent to Parliament and the corrupt MPs are offered a “facilitation fee” to reject the price increase. The MPs do exactly as they are told and they are happy because by throwing the proposal out of the window, the MPs are also building their reputations after multiple charges of corruption, incompetence and looting of public coffers. For once, they are seen as having come to the rescue of the poor mwananchi but what is unknown to the rescued mwananchi is that this is just a game.
To play it into the next level, the CS is instructed to announce that despite the rejection of the proposal by Parliament, it will be implemented. In short, Koech is given powers outside the Constitution to override Parliament and implement his personal-kitchen-cabinet decision unilaterally. He is not sacked by the President who appointed him, a sign that the President is aware about the strategy. This move provokes a second round of noise making and when all appears to be going round without an end, something dramatic happens and everything comes to a stand-still.
The Mesiah comes from State House “to save the situation”
The President of the Republic chips in and rejects the 16% increase but lowers it to the originally desired 8% and the main objective is achieved. All goes quiet, no protests, people have aired their views and opinions, the media has played its role in enlightening the people, Parliament has intervened and the President has finally come in to save mwananchi from the 16% increase in petrol price while at the same time bringing the matter to a permanent end.
There will be no more debates and discussions over the issue, the media (controlled by the ruling classes) is instructed to avoid debating the subject and move on and Kenyans begin to forget the drama as they also begin to pay for the higher prices that have just gone into force. No riots, no tear-gas, no street demonstrations and all signs are that it is business as usual. That is today’s Kenya. The population has been pacified.
