The Chairman of the Presidential Council of Economic Advisors David Ndii, on Thursday, castigated Kenyans with poor spending habits who blame the government for the tough economy.
Taking to his X account, the economist singled out Kenyans who purchase Ksh9,000 fish while ignoring cheap alternatives like Tilapia which only cost ksh799.
"My apologies to upper deck people that fresh Atlantic Salmon price is up 40%. Not only is Tilapia still affordable, but it also puts money in people's pockets," Ndii noted.
"My tweet is not addressed to the majority," he added.
According to Ndii, while tilapia fish was affordable it also lacked a carbon footprint.
Ndii was responding to reports which depicted the ripple effects caused by the dropping value of the shilling, including hiked food prices and skyrocketing public debt.
David Ndii also dismissed reports by some media outlets suggesting that Kenya's exports had significantly dropped amid the fluctuating currency.
Ideally, a weak shilling ought to hint at an increase in exports since goods and services cost less in the international market.
The weakening shilling against the dollar backed by surging inflation rates has largely been blamed for the high cost of living which has inflicted more pain and suffering among Kenyans.
It recently crossed a staggering 160 unit points against the dollar, the lowest on record.
On November 9, 2023, President William Ruto while giving his State of the Nation address in Parliament warned of tough economic times even as the government planned to service the country's pending debts including the Eurobond.
"The new direction may not be easy but it is ethical, responsible, prudent, and most importantly necessary. We have had to make hard decisions and make painful choices because we owe the people of Kenya to do the right things and to confront facts as they are," Ruto remarked.
