Trade Cabinet Secretary(CS) Moses Kuria, addressed the high cost of electricity bills in the country
During an interview at Citizen TV on Monday, February 20, the CS urged Kenyans to cease reasoning with emotions while confronting the issue.
He argued that Kenyans were comfortable spending on other expenses like betting and making calls, yet felt offended when urged to pay Ksh1,000 for electricity.
“We need to reduce the amount of emotions around this issue. A Kenyan would rather spend all the money betting or speaking on the phone, which is not expensive. When you tell Kenyans let’s pay Ksh1,000 for electricity which will power us then the discussion turns emotional,” he challenged.
The CS asked Kenyans to exploit the gazetted public participation, initiated by Energy CS, Davis Chirchir, to review energy costs.
“Kenyans should respond to the gazette because when you are given a chance to engage, we don't engage. Chirchir gazetted an exercise that is going on to review the cost of energy,” he stated.
In addition, he promised to add his voice to the high cost of energy, where he noted that it was wrong for manufacturing costs to lead to subsidising energy for Kenyans.
“Due to the nature of our economy, it is an industry that subsidizes individuals in terms of energy. Because of the energy pricing structure, if you consume more, you pay more tariffs. In the end of it, it is the industry that subsidises the consumer.
"It is a difficult conversation that we are going to have. We need to look at balancing between ordinary consumers and industry because we need to help the consumer. Still, at the same time, we need to look at our competitiveness and our attractiveness as a manufacturing country,” he added.
Kuria's remarks came after Kenya Power argued that it was better to have expensive power than no power.
On January 28, the acting Managing Director, Geoffrey Wasua Muli, urged Kenyans to look at the value electricity brings rather than the cost.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) however reduced electricity prices for the month of February. The Regulatory Authority revised the January electricity prices by Kenya Power which was at Ksh7.18 per unit.
