NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 23 – The Chair of the Presidential Council of Economic Advisors David Ndii sparked outrage among some netizens regarding the cost of power in Kenya on Thursday.
In a tweet, the economist averred that President William Ruto’s administration had only two options to tackle power bills in what subsequently provoked the ire of some Kenyans.
“Costly power available 24/7, or cheap power available a few hours a day, like SA. If you cared to peruse our manifesto, you would have noted that cheap power does not feature in our pledges on electricity,” he said.
The majority of netizens responded to the tweet by reminding Ndii that President Ruto had promised to lower the cost of electricity during his campaign.
“Actually Kenya Kwanza manifesto has it, maybe your oversight here?” former Mukurweni MP Kabando Wa Kabando posed.
Another netizen, Gabriel Oguda, urged Ndii to revisit the Kenya Kwanza government manifesto on the issue.
“The President will be mad that he hired an economic advisor who only reads Economics Books that were last published when Archdeacon J.J. Willis established Maseno School,” he posed.
Ndii, who exhibited a bullish attitude, rejected the claims that the Kenya Kwanza manifesto had promised “cheap power” to Kenyans.
“Bring down cost here refers to production costs, not tariffs. The listed are heavy medium-term capital investments that will not bring down tariffs anytime soon,” he said.
The exorbitant cost of electricity in Kenya remains a significant concern for many citizens, particularly those who depend on it to improve their quality of life.
Despite pressure from the opposition to reduce the cost of living, President Ruto has accordingly repeatedly affirmed that his administration is taking steps to tackle the issue.
