President Ruto announces plans to remove all taxes on cooking gas

President William Ruto now says the government will remove all taxes on cooking gas in a bid to ensure access to all households at affordable rates, and presumably cushion Kenyans against the high costs of living.

President Ruto, speaking on Friday during the launch of the Taifa Gas plant in Dongo Kundu, Mombasa County, said this would also serve to reduce the use of wood fuel which poses both health and environmental challenges to the country's citizens.

“Kila nyumba katika taifa letu la Kenya itakuwa na mtungi wa gas, na tutahakikisha ya kwamba bei ya gas itapungua kwa sababu tutaondoa pia ile kodi yote ambayo imewekwa kwa mambo ya gas so that we can make sure that every household in Kenya has access to gas for cooking, and we can eliminate the use of wood fuel, health challenges, and restore our environment by reducing the number of trees that are being cut for purposes of wood fuel,” he said.

The Head of State hence directed Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir to make sure that cooking gas is availed to Kenyan households at subsidise rates within the next three years.

According to President Ruto, the government is still deliberating on whether to provide gas cylinders for free or at relatively lower rates so as to ensure everybody has access to one.

He further ordered the CS Chirchir to work alongside his Interior counterpart Prof. Kithure Kindiki to mount a crackdown for rogue businessmen running illegal gas filling stations across the country.

“Waziri you have the marching orders and you know what you must do so that in three years every household has a subsidised cooking gas, both in terms of cost of the cylinder – we want to see whether we can give the cylinder for free or charge a minimal fee,” he stated.

“I also want the ministry to make sure that we eliminate all illegal filling of gas in the country because it is dangerous. Wale wakora wote ambao wanatumia mitungi ambayo sio zao kuweka gas, hawa watu wajipange. Kwa sababu mtu ahatarishe maisha ya wananchi kwa kuenda kufill gas mtungi ambayo sio yake na anatumia mbinu ambazo sio halali. So we must get rid of all illegal sellers of gas, we must make sure that we eliminate all illegal filling stations.”