Nairobi, Kenya, Mar 16- The Russian Embassy in Kenya has dismissed reports that the country’s invasion of Ukraine is to blame for the high cost of living in Kenya and across the continent.
The Embassy tweeted Wednesday, in response to remarks by Kenya’s State House Spokeswoman Kanze Dena that fuel prices in the country were triggered by the crisis with Ukraine.
“Russian Embassy in Kenya would like to point out to our Kenyan friends and partners that the real cause of the increase in prices in Africa is not Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, but the illegal unilateral “sanctions” imposed by the US, EU and their followers on Russia,” the Embassy tweeted.
Fuel prices shot up by Sh5 on Monday, in what was blamed on the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
The Russian Embassy statement follows remarks by Dena that the rising cost of living is not exclusive to Kenya is a global phenomenon fueled by numerous external factors, among them the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
President Vladmir Putin’s government and his allies have increasingly come under heavy pressure from the global communities after Russian troops launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine which began on February 24.
The military incursion has seen millions of people including Ukrainians and other nationalities flee the Eastern Europe Country which is led by President Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy.
Despite calls for a ceasefire, Russia troops have continued to advance into the country as Ukraine forces continue to fight them in a war that has resulted to the loss of thousands of lives.
Under the new prices, Super Petrol and Diesel will retail at Sh134.72 and Sh115.60 per litre respectively. Kerosene will remain unchanged at Sh103.54.
It is the first increase since November 2021, in what sources said is linked to the crisis between Ukraine and Russia.
Last month Kenyans took to social media to protest the rising cost of food and groceries.
Under the hashtag, Lower Food Prices, the netizens decried the increase in prices of basic food commodities such as sifted maize flour, bread, vegetables and fruits.
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