President Ruto Now Says Russia-Ukraine War Has A Role In Kenya’s High Cost Of Living
President William Ruto mentioned on Sunday that the Russia-Ukraine war significantly contributes to Kenya’s increased cost of living, which contrasts with his previous stance early last year when he downplayed the impact of the conflict.
In a media discussion at the State House in Nairobi on Sunday, Ruto expressed that he took on his responsibilities at a time when Kenya was facing significant challenges, including the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“The issue of exchange rate is a factor of many aspects. As you know, I came into office when there was a lot of fluid activity in the space, we had a serious situation caused by Covid, we had a big war in Europe, a huge drought caused by climate change, and all those factors combined to create a situation globally that increased the prices of commodities that we import, and demand for the dollar,” the president said.
On the 1st of May in 2022, former President Uhuru Kenyatta linked the increased cost of living to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, specifically citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 as the cause.
He requested that politicians, including his former deputy, William Ruto, refrain from holding him responsible for Kenya’s challenging economic circumstances.
“There is this war we don’t even understand that has caused fuel and food prices to go up in other countries and brought us other challenges… I, Uhuru Kenyatta, surely, am I in Ukraine? Was I in Wuhan when Covid came?” quipped Mr Kenyatta.
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Kenyatta blamed Ruto for abandoning him and turning to rouse Kenyans for compassion, stating that the economic difficulties stemmed from the Covid-19 pandemic, which he claimed was out of his influence.
Ruto was a presidential candidate at the time, in a heated presidential campaign to succeed Kenyatta, who had refused to endorse him as his preferred successor and instead threw his weight behind former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
A month prior, Kenyatta had also blamed domestic fuel shortages and high fuel prices on the Russia-Ukraine war, saying Kenya was experiencing ripple effects of the conflict.
And then, on June 30, Ruto shot down his boss’s remarks as a “lost cause”, adding that the answer to the high cost of living is investing in agriculture and doubling farm produce.
“This whole story about Ukraine is a lost cause,” the then DP said, “…the challenge of cost of living is not too scientific. The challenge of the cost of living is increasing agricultural productivity, period.”
He at the time vowed to support farmers with fertilizer and seed subsidies “and ensure that post-harvest challenges are managed,” to boost agricultural production and combat the cost-of-living crisis.
President Ruto Now Says Russia-Ukraine War Has A Role In Kenya’s High Cost Of Living
