Kenyan newspapers on Friday, April 3, covered a political meeting between retired president Uhuru Kenyatta, former deputy president (DP) Rigathi Gachagua and other opposition leaders. The newspapers also analyzed the government’s plans to help consumers deal with high fuel prices.
Source: UGC
1. The Standard
Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta he plans to play a major role in the 2027 General Election, aiming to oust his successor from what he sees as bad leadership and unclear policies.
After the funeral of former Kirinyaga senator Daniel Karaba, Uhuru held a 40-minute meeting with Opposition leaders on Wednesday, April 1, where he promised to support their efforts to defeat the President William Ruto in the next election.
Those who attended included the former DP Rigathi GachaguaWiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua (People’s Liberation Party), Eugene Wamalwa (Democratic Action Party), Fred Matiang’i (deputy leader, Jubilee Party), Justin Muturi (Democratic Party), and Siaya governor James Orengo.
According to the participants, Uhuru himself coordinated the attendance of Opposition leaders at the funeral.
He used the meeting to warn them against what he described as Ruto’s efforts to divide them. He warned them that any politician who separates from the group will face the wrath of Kenyans.
He emphasized that their common goal is to remove Ruto from power, noting that their unity will be important to achieve that.
“There have been talks between these two groups and we have not held public meetings as a strategy, but the two groups will produce one strong presidential candidate to face Ruto,” sources revealed.
2. Daily Nation
The government will review the value added tax (VAT) on petrol products and plans to allocate 17 billion shillings from the fuel stability fund to help consumers if the conflict in the Middle East continues beyond the May-June pump price review period.
The reassessment of the 16 percent VAT on petrol, diesel and kerosene appears to be necessary to curb the expected increase in pump prices in the April 15 to May 14 price cycle.
Higher fuel costs can lead to inflationary pressures, adding to the burden on households that are already facing financial challenges.
Minister of Finance John Mbadi he said VAT will be reviewed if the subsidy is not enough to prevent the sharp rise in fuel prices, with the next price announcement expected on Tuesday, April 14.
3. The Star
The security sector has emerged as a major beneficiary after Kenyan parliamentarians approved an increase of 363.9 billion shillings in this year’s budget, thus giving a big boost to intelligence, defense and police agencies.
The Kenya Defense Forces (KDF), the National Police Service (NPS) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) all received increased allocations after the National Assembly approved a sub-budget on Thursday, April 2.
An analysis of additional estimates shows significant increases in several agencies within the national security system.
NIS recorded one of the biggest increases, with its dividend increasing by 10 billion shillings from 51.4 billion shillings to 61.4 billion shillings.
4. People Daily
A recent audit shows that loans worth 89.7 billion shillings issued by the Higher Education Loan Board (HELB) have gone into non-payment, with no return of capital, interest, ledger costs or insurance fees, which indicates a serious financial risk.
According to Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, a review of the loan book up to June 30, 2025 also revealed that 731,789 accounts were matured, with a combined balance of 115.4 billion shillings.
Gathungu expressed concern about the high level of unpaid loans and questioned the effectiveness of the board’s debt recovery strategies.
5. Nation Today
The political landscape of Mount Kenya may change significantly following the strengthening of the relationship between Uhuru and his former rival, Gachagua.
The development could hamper Ruto’s efforts to be re-elected in 2027.
Analysts say their public appearance together at the funeral of former Kirinyaga senator Daniel Karaba on Wednesday was more than symbolic.
The meeting between the two marked the culmination of months of secretive efforts to unite the heavily-voted Mount Kenya region under a common political agenda.
Read ENGLISH VERSION
Do you have an exciting story that you would like us to publish? Please contact us via news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
