Hundreds Protest in Nairobi Over Rising Cost of Living
NAIROBI, Kenya – July 7, 2022 – Hundreds of Nairobi residents marched through the Central Business District on Thursday to protest the soaring prices of essential commodities, including cooking oil, maize flour, wheat flour, and sugar. The demonstrators, carrying sufurias and empty packets of sugar and flour, concluded their protest at Harambee House, the office of the President.
Protesters argued that leaders have failed to address the financial strain on households, with prices doubling in recent weeks. A litre of cooking oil now averages Sh407, up from Sh350 in April, while 2kg packets of maize and wheat flour retail for Sh230. Activists called on the government to take immediate action to reduce the cost of living, rejecting claims that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is solely responsible for the price surges.
With elections just over a month away, demonstrators criticized both presidential front-runners, Raila Odinga and William Ruto, for offering promises instead of solutions. Our leaders have been in power or close to power and yet our daily lives are still worsening, one protester lamented.
Government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna defended President Uhuru Kenyatta, attributing the high commodity prices to the global impact of the Ukraine war, while emphasizing that the challenge is not unique to Kenya.