- Former President Ruto’s economic advisor, Moses Kuria, predicts April will be the harshest month yet.
- He attributes the economic strain to the ongoing war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
- Kuria forecasts fuel prices in Kenya could rise to between Ksh230 and Ksh250 per litre.
- He cautions against short-term solutions like subsidies or tax cuts, citing long-term economic risks.
Moses Kuria, senior economic advisor to former President William Ruto, has warned that April 2026 could be economically brutal for Kenya and the world. Speaking via his official X account on Wednesday, April 1, he linked the forecast to the ongoing conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States.
According to Kuria, disruptions to energy supply caused by tensions in the Hormuz Strait will ripple through global markets, intensifying inflation and affecting prices domestically.
Kuria predicted that Kenya will see fuel prices jump to between KSh230 and KSh250 per litre in April. He highlighted that the global energy crunch is a major factor and warned that the nation must brace for increased costs of living.
He also cautioned the government against introducing subsidies or cutting taxes in response to rising prices, calling such measures “short-term solutions” that could undermine Kenya’s economic progress for years.
“Messing up the macroeconomic gains achieved so far will have consequences that may last even two years after the conflict,” Kuria wrote. He urged Kenyans to accept the rising costs as a necessary, if painful, adjustment while hoping for diplomatic resolutions in the Middle East.
The warning comes amid heightened global uncertainty, with Kuria emphasising the importance of fiscal discipline and long-term planning to shield Kenya from the full impact of international turmoil.
As the world monitors the Iran-Israel-U.S. conflict, Kenyan households and businesses are expected to feel the effects of higher energy prices and inflation. Kuria’s message is clear: short-term fixes could harm the economy, and resilience will be required to navigate the challenging month ahead.
