Many Kenyans are asking why unga keeps getting more expensive, why fuel prices keep going up, and why school fees are harder to manage than before. These concerns cut across households, and Mwelekeo TV has decided to unpack them in a way that ordinary citizens can understand.
Their latest episode explains that these problems are not random but tied to fiscal policy, which is how the government raises money through taxes and borrowing and then decides how to spend it.
The program, produced by Mwelekeo Insights, uses data to show how these choices shape daily life. Hosts Fridah Mong’are and Tonny Nyakoko take time to explain how Kenya’s 2025 budget is affecting common goods.
For instance, the rise in unga prices is linked to Value Added Tax on basic foods like maize flour. Since VAT is a flat rate that applies to everyone, families with lower income end up feeling the pinch more. Mwelekeo TV presents this using simple charts to make the complicated numbers easier to follow.
When it comes to fuel, the episode connects the rising pump prices to both global oil shocks and local government austerity measures. Kenya depends heavily on imported fuel, which means that changes in the exchange rate and duties add extra costs.
Figures from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority show petrol went up by about 2 percent in August 2025. This rise does not stop at the pump; it pushes up matatu and boda boda fares, directly squeezing commuters in towns like Kisumu.
Mwelekeo TV host Fridah Mong’are. Photo Courtesy (Mwelekeo Insights/X)
The team also points out that nearly half of tax revenue goes to debt repayment, leaving little room for subsidies that could ease the cost of fuel.
The education sector is also highlighted. Parents are struggling with fees because budget cuts in education leave schools with fewer resources.
The 2025 Finance Bill debates included proposals that would raise costs for things like textbooks and meals. Inflation, recorded at 4.1 percent in July, pushed the price of school supplies up by about 5 percent, worsening the situation for many families. Some parents even shared their experiences of having to add extra payments because of cuts in school capitation.
On maize prices, the show warns that temporary reliefs like subsidy programs or duty waivers only help for a short while. A 50 percent duty waiver on maize imports brought prices down briefly, but shortages soon pushed a 2kg packet of flour to over KSh 200, compared to KSh 120 just a few years ago.
Mwelekeo TV stresses that this burden is unfair, since low earners end up paying proportionally more through consumption taxes, while wealth taxes remain weak.
The program also touches on corruption and wasteful government spending, pointing out that public trust is lost when funds are misused on projects like state house upgrades. They argue that accountability and fairer taxation are necessary if Kenyans are to see real change.
The episode closes by encouraging viewers to get more involved in budget discussions and to question the policies behind rising costs.
By mixing expert opinion with real stories, Mwelekeo TV helps people see how fiscal policy shapes their daily struggles, making a complicated subject much easier to grasp.
