 with nation called Kenya. I like that we can be able to discuss these things that are being deliberated at the highest stages. At least we have... I don't know how far the word goes, but at least we can have a word about it, yes? Yes, yes. And if you have any burning sensational issues, please let us know on the handles I have just given you. So we are obviously going to start to... I know it's not obvious to everyone, but it's like to me, it's a bit obvious, we're going to start with the cost of living because it is it is disgusting. Everything is so high from the prices of LPG, that's liquid-fired petroleum gas, to just... it's just... what's happening? I'm not sure what is going on before we kind of dive into it. What do you think is happening? Why is the cost of living? Why has it soared so much? Are we seeing... or rather what's the change between the regime, the current regime and the previous one? Why is the high cost of living so high? Okay, thank you so much for that question. There are so many things that have contributed to the rise in the cost of living in our country and I would suggest that in one way or another, this is an infringement on the rights of Kenyans. Every citizen has a right to an affordable and sustainable state of our livelihood and this is not what we are seeing today. Number one, when we have more expenditure on the government side, the government is spending so much on irrelevant issues or rather irrelevant... you know, irrelevant... just irrelevant things. How can we be creating offices like the one we saw recently, the office of the first spouse to the prime cabinet secretary, yet we are having people dying in Turkana, we are having people dying in Isiolo. You know, we cannot be discussing about the rise in the cost of living, yet money is not being used properly. Public finance is not being used in the right way or rather in a way that is supposed... we are supposed to see it being used. So I would suggest that first let us cut down on the cost of how the government is spending it's rather the public finance on issues that are just irrelevant so that at least we can be able to uphold these rights. You know, the social economic rights, the right to food, the right to education and generally the right to security because these are the most fundamental... these are the fundamental rights to a citizen that ensure that citizens are able to contribute to the economy. Otherwise, we are still going to talk about the rise in the cost of living, the poor state of the citizens, unless we sort out this issue. All right, so just to get the facts correct. So as of the 9th of February of this year, 2023, the liquefied petroleum gas that is LPG at 6 kgs was retailing at 1800, that's 1,800 shillings. And now, in less than a week, it's shot to 2,600 shillings. And this was largely blamed to the Energy Petroleum Regulatory Authority is not regulating these prices. Now, in today's newspaper, I'm really glad that it came up, we have the Deputy Presidents as Gashagwa pledges to end monopoly in milk, gas and sectors, so if I could read a couple of sentences for you. Deputy Presidents regarding Gashagwa's vow to end monopoly in the milk and the gas sector in the country, Gashagwa charged that life has become unbearable for Kenyans due to continued monopoly of the milk and gas sector that has seen to an increase in the commodities. Last week, President William Ruto promised that his administration will ensure that gas retails at between 300 shillings and 500 shillings starting June this year. So, and I'm jumping a bit, but we continue to say there has been a monopoly by one person in the milk sector. We're opening up that sector. We're going to open up the milk industry and gas industry, Gashagwa says. According to Gashagwa, retired President Huracanata and his Jubilee administration did not want him and President Ruto to win the 2022 polls so that they can continue to control the critical sectors of the economy. Gashagwa further reiterated that they inherited empty coffers when they took over the leadership in September last year, adding that the same people who labeled them thieves plundered the country's coffers. However, there's no court of law that has found the former administration of financial misappropriation, despite the Gashagwa's claims. This sounds a lot like he said, she said, because as they have said, there's no court of law that has determined on the same misappropriation of funds. So, should we believe what we are being told? Is it true that someone is siphoning money from the economy or money that's supposed to be or intended to be injected into the economy? And that is why prices have been... And if money's said so, we're being misappropriated during the previous regime, why are we feeling the effects now? Okay, thanks once more. You know, if you want... I've always said that if you want to be a good judge or rather a person who gives correct judgment into different kind of issues, such as this one which we are seeing today, you must not be partial. You must not incline on one side. And by saying so, we must consider the fact that whatever is being said must could be in one way a means of political reach and could be on the other way a truth that cannot be validated. So, from my own side, I can state that, of course, saying that there is a monopoly in the market, it's not true because we've been told that there is only one person who has monopolized the milk industry. Of course, in the public limelight, people already know that maybe it's Brookside which is linked to former president, Huru Kenyatta. And I can challenge this that I think Brookside Company is one of the best in the market, buying milk from farmers at the cheapest prices. So that's not monopoly. And competition has not been defiled. There is still competition. We have other companies such as KCC. I can give you an example. In Molo, we still have a cooling plant. In Molo town, we still have a cooling plant being owned by the government. That's the new KCC being owned by the government. So there is no monopoly. It's just that there is no motivation from different competitors. When we look at issues to do with the national gas, with this cooking gas and all that, and the LPG, there is only one argument that if there is monopoly indeed, what has the government done to ensure that the monopoly is broken? For the longest time, we have had these companies produce gases to us. We have not complained. Why is it that we are complaining at this point? I would invite the government to delve into a serious matter such as the KPC. The last, if I can remember, from 2013 to 2016, the only period when there was a national blackout was on January 2016. And this led to an uproar and the government worked on that situation. And I think for the longest period from 2016 to 2022, we have not had issues to do with the power blackouts, those major power blackouts. And all this is being brought by how we are handling the monopolization of these industries. But now the government is arguing that, you know what, we need to move to the solar kind of electrical power. And this is not what we should be talking about. Let's not talk about breaking the monopoly in the gas sector. Let's not talk about breaking the monopoly in the milk industry. Let's talk about issues that affect us as citizens. People are complaining that there is an upsurge or rather a rise in the cost of electricity. How can I be paying 100 shillings? Yet the taxes are so high. So I'm ending up using a lot of money for electricity that is not even sustainable. Why don't we monopolize the Kenya power lighting company instead of us talking about milk, talking about gas that is not sustainable to us. People do take coffee. People do take other kind of beverages, but electricity is something that we should be talking about in terms of monopolization or rather breaking the monopoly so that we can ensure there is fair competition on the same. There seems to have been a couple of changes made in regards to electricity by people who have not involved shareholders. That's what I'm hearing you say. So we should be involved. We should be part of the conversation. We should be part of the conversation because in the long run, it's the Kenyan, it's the common money in which we're suffering. You're paying a lot for energy that is not sustainable. We are paying a lot of taxes, especially for those citizens who are using the tokens. You know, they're talking more of paying a lot of us. Yeah, so this is what we should be discussing. Instead of us talking about milk, you don't take your milk to Brookside, yet you are complaining. You don't, you are not a consumer of milk from Brookside, yet you are complaining about monopoly. These are issues that we as Kenyans need to open our eyes to. If there is monopoly, let competition be, and you know, we cannot incline on one side. We also need to hear. You know, these are the dangers of a single story. Yeah, we also need to listen from other sides. We cannot be only complaining about the defendant. Let us also listen from the defendant, yeah. Spoken like a true learned friend. Right, just before we come out of the topic of the high cost of living, there is a story that was on the news or the mainstream news rather this weekend. And they were talking about East African Seed. Now that the point was to plant drought resistant seeds or the climate smart varieties, that's what they call them. And that's where biotechnology comes in. Do you think we are a step closer to addressing the issue of drought and the F word we don't like to say, FAMI? I would want to echo this one using the words of my, I was a student at St. Joseph's Boys High School Kitale and my late principal Wilson Yego, my soul rest in eternal peace, told me that or rather told us that you will never fight technology. Technology is inevitable. You must face it, you must embrace it. And so with the coming up of this biotechnology which is in relation to agriculture is something that of course we need to to encourage for more research. We need also to embrace it so that we can settle these issues to do with drought, famine that is affecting our people. But you know, the most important thing I would want to encourage or rather to ask Kenyans to provoke their minds is on the fact that Kenya has a lot of food. If you go to a county like Nakuru people are harvesting potatoes, people are harvesting maize, there is peace. Why can't we buy from our local farmers instead of us going outside? There was an issue about now there are particular counties, sorry particular counties that are very rich in food but the transportation now is becoming the problem. And this is where the government should delve into. Aha, so instead of now stretching into other means of trying to curb the vice or drought we should actually work with what we're having that's what I'm hearing. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, so I'll just encourage let the government take keen interest keen interest on our market our agricultural markets. We have a lot of food in Kenya. Issues are just, we only need to concentrate on how best we can, you know, raise the bar. In terms of, you know, I was like trying to ask myself, I will give you an example. A county like, which county do you know that it's dry or being faced by drought? Garisa. Garisa. A county like Garisa, where is the need of them building roads, constructing roads? Yet their people are dying. They are livestock, you know, succumbing to the effects of drought. Yet they can establish multimillion schemes of irrigation schemes to sustain their livelihood. They can, like for example, we've had that, okay, I'm not sure I'm not in the government. I don't work in the treasury but we've just had that the former, we've had that the first lady of the United States who had come to pay a courtesy call to our presidency, they donated 16 billion. Why can't we like say half of this money, we are going to, you know, try to find a lasting solution, a long-term solution that is going to, you know, in terms of settling drought issues and farming, we set out irrigation schemes and we have a legislation on the same so that our people are not going to cry about drought ever again. Yes. I just had another point slap me but on the verge of never leaving this particular point, let's just move on to something else that has been making a lot of noise in both the political scene and just generally the nation at large. So the LGBTQ plus community in the constitution apparently it is criminalized. It is criminalized but just the other day the Supreme Court made a ruling that enabled it to be able to be recognized by non-governmental institutions. How do you feel about that? Because we've had a lot of, in fact what intrigued me the most is again during the weekend I saw, I don't know if Rastafarians need a different society in itself but they also came forward and made their, grievances, maybe grievances know that apparently it's not morally correct. So it's not only the church but now you have that and then we have MPs actually coming together from Azimio, from Kenakwansa, finding common ground finally and also kind of saying, ah the Supreme Court might be just alone on this one for this particular decision. What do you think is the underlying problem? Is it because it is not according to African culture or morals? Is it because they are looking at it as Western influence and it's, I don't know if it's coincidence that the ruling was made just before Dr. Jill Biden, now the first lady of the United States came to visit. What do you think is the problem here? Okay, thank you. The Kenyan constitution is one of the most diverse, the most like it's one of the best constitutions I think in our region, in our continent and one of its provisions and article 36, it provides for the freedom of association. And freedom of association under the same article 36, sub article 3C, I think sub article 3B, it talks about issues to do with fair hearing before people can register and association such as the one which we, we've always had the LGBTQ. So I would suggest or rather indicate that indeed they have been heard. Their rights to being heard in relation to this article have not been infringed. But again, this is a matter relating to our national values. I would want to drive you to this. Come think of this. We've always learned in history or rather those of us, our younger brothers and sisters who are I think in primary schools and those ones in high schools, they have always been taught about the missionaries. The missionaries came to bring, they were foreigners. They were people from the West. They came to bring about Christianity and the good news. But at the same time, up to where we have reached, we are the ones now coming, trying to influence us, telling us that this is what we should accept. But I'm trying to drive in the point that we don't just do things as Africans. We are enlightened. We don't just do things because we are being told they are good for us. We also have our own instincts, our own brains to think about it. And upon this issue, I would suggest that we are not yet ripe even for this debate. Because I'll give you an example. The United States of America got independence in 1776. They've had like 40 something presidents currently and we're on our, how many? There are so many. They got independence in 1776. And Kenya got independence in 1963. So they are like 300 years older than us. So in order for us to start talking about this debate, we need to give ourselves like 300 years because this is not for us to partake. And again, I will still argue that we cannot trade our morals for money. We cannot trade our morals for donations. And I'm not saying that that's what the US president or rather the US government was up to. I'm not into that because it's not even validated. We don't know if it's true or not true. But on issues to do with LGBTQ, of course, people can engage in registration of associations, but let it be limited not to, let it be limited not to the infringement of national values. They are values we as Africans hold so dear. And before I conclude on that, there is something that we, when we call our people a society, we call them a society because there is something that defines them and it's those values and morals. So once we accept such issues to be partaken into, then we lose that society definition. Actually, there are a couple of points. Other schools have thought that kind of echo what you've just said. So we have people, I don't wanna say condemn, but having a little bit of a situation or causing a bit of fiction with this particular situation because they claim it's attacking on family because there's no reproduction when it comes to same sex marriages or affiliations. And also it's an attack or norms and beliefs. Just what you said, as Africans or as Kenyans, we have a specific social structure or very ingrained. I don't know if it's written in stone, but it's not going to come to change anytime soon. And also just on that, another one that echoes what you're saying. So we have Garisa Township MP, Dekal Mohamed has weighed into the ongoing debate over registration of a Gates Association in Kenya. According to the lawmaker, the fact that Kenyans are even having a conversation over the same is a sure sign that the country was moving in the wrong direction. So not that there has been made a ruling, not that there's a decision, not that there's backlash, just that we're talking about it is a problem. So to ask ourselves as Kenyans whether the Supreme Court was right or wrong or to debate about the whole issue is in itself wrong. Again, you just said, Kala just said very wisely. I wanna believe that we are 300 years too young to be having this conversation. We're giving the issue, it continues, the issue undue publicity and as a country, I must say we have stooped too low. Last week, the Supreme Court gave the nod that allowed formation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex association. Now, these three judges, Philomenon Muelo, Smokin Wanjala and Joaquin Dungu ruled in favor of the group, while justices Mohamed Ibrahim and William Oko had dissenting opinions. The majority judges had in their decision declared that it was discriminatory for the NGO Coordination Board to deny LGBTQI, this one goes I, people opportunity to form associations to champion their rights. So according to the cow, the continuous discussion and debate about the issue has been met with a lot of condemnation from across the section of Kenyans, only serve to give publicity to an issue that should not be talked about in the first place. He says all religions are poor such acts. So I will kind of skip and finish with this. It should be noted that the Supreme Court is not that supreme, it's parliament that is the supreme and which makes laws and corrects with the gaps are and we will do so, said Mohamed. And he said according to the proposal, a person dissatisfied with any decision by the apex court will be required to collect at least two million signatures to force IBC to subject the decision to a referendum. So they're ready to hit the Senator Godfrey Osotsi had suggested an amendment to the constitution to take away the powers of the Supreme Court as the final arbiter. So things have kind of escalated here. So it's not just the topic that is disturbing or the ruling rather, it's the fact that we're talking about it. And now that we've gone so far ahead as to consider revoking the supreme's courts, how to say powers as, I quote, final arbiter. So what do you think about that? Do you know one thing that I would state is that as Africans or as Kenyans, we ought to protect our values more than even democracy. Our values, our moral fabric is the most important aspect. Like I've just told you, it's what defines a society. It's what defines a people. Why are these people called the KBC fraternity? Why is this group called the Y254 fraternity? It's because they are values that are inclined to them. So one thing, another interesting thing about me, I will even argue it out that there's not even a matter that should even be debated in parliament. These are matters that affects all Kenyans. And if it's so to be passed, then it should be passed to the extent of its impossibility through a referendum. People must give their opinion on the same because it's something that touches every part of our country, every heart. Our future generations, you know, let me tell you this. It's out of science. A man and a man, they cannot say a child. A lady and a lady, they cannot say a child. So we as Africans, we wouldn't want to see a situation where our population is decreasing because for those of us who believe in God, we believe in Allah, we know that, you know, procreation is a command from God. And once we hold this process, then it's like, you know, disobedience to that supreme calling. So there are so many issues that need to be debated over this and that's what I'm saying. It's not even, you know, when we take it to parliament, it's just that they are speaking for us, but we also need to speak for ourselves. And the best way that we can speak for ourselves is through that ballot. You know, President Abraham Lincoln once said that a ballot is more dangerous than a bullet because it's in form of a decision. I am speaking up about issues that do affect me. If we allow such kind of issues to arise in our current generation, then we are not going to have children in the future. We are not going to have people to lead in the future. We are not going to have people leading us in the future. So this is something that we as Africans, we must protect our national values more than we even protect democracy. Yes. All right, and I will put a full stop to that particular conversation there before our time runs out so we can touch on our last point. Now, I will start with the opposition, Azimio. So Azimio had provided, for lack of a better term, an ultimatum 14 days and we should be in the 12th day by now. So two more days to go to a call for mass action. So now as I have been trying to weigh the situation and listening to different schools of thought, we have people who are coming to say that if Azimio chooses to just contend on the issue of the service to be opened again, something that we have again, as the Supreme Court comes into the conversation, something that has already been dealt with, then they may not be as successful as they choose to be. But someone else comes and said, or a different school of thought also says if they are willing to talk about the high cost of living and if things are affecting us as citizens' Kenyans on the ground, maybe perhaps, maybe perhaps that they will be perceived appropriately or accordingly, I don't know if that spells into mass action, but what do you think about it? Okay, I would invite you to also go and read through the conditions that the Azimio leader had set for the Kenyakuanza government. And one of them was in between that 14 day ultimatum was for the Kenyakuanza government to reduce or rather lower the cost of living. And this is one of the reasons why I think the coalition is calling for mass action. And one thing that I will state is that it's an international aspect of law. It's a local aspect of law that there is, a right to picket, there is a right to demonstrate, there is a right to riot, though peacefully. And I think that this is what the opposition leaders are up to. Although I wouldn't say that I'm part of the leadership of that side, because the best thing as a youth that I can do is remaining independent. Although sometimes you can find yourself inclining to one end, but the best thing that you can do is being independent so that you can have a clear mind on how things are running. So in terms of the Azimio and Kenyakuanza issue, everyone has a right to riot, where they feel like there is an issue and maybe the governance is not being handled in the way it's supposed to be handled. So literally, Azimio have a right. Again, just to maybe redirect the question, I do understand that one of the measures they noted was the high cost of living, but it seems to the people that it's just the service that is the problem. Like it's what's being highlighted, it's like number one through five is service and we need to go back and check how our numbers were a lot more than they're letting on. And then maybe number six, number seven is the high cost of living. So I feel like I am understanding, like the ground feels like there is more emphasis on what happened before. And it feels like we're being dragged backwards, so. Okay, I would want to also invite you to, if you're a leader, you put yourself in the shoes of Rayla Molo Dinger. A person who in one way or another has lost, I think, is it five elections now? Yes. Five elections. And there is that one election that you clearly feel you are in deep conviction. This is the one. This is the one. Or rather, this election is that one election that was stolen from me. I have lost so many, but on this one, I am not at peace with my heart. Can you prevent such kind of a person from seeking the truth? Even until death, just pursuing that one aspect of truth. I just want to know how the election was conducted. And the truth is in those servers. And this is what Rayla Molo Dinger has been requesting. Just open the servers so that it, and he's not saying that open the servers for I to check on them. He's saying let an independent body access the servers and verify them to check whether indeed the election was credible. So these are person who is pursuing the truth for his own interest and the interest of his supporters. You will say that most of the supporters are saying that the servers should be opened, but I feel like most people, they feel like the government should not be there. That's what people, that's what let me call them. The Azimio supporters feel like. And the government is not supposed to be there because the cost of living has shut up. Number two, the government is there illegitimately. And these are some of the issues that are just running, finding their way among people's thoughts. And yeah, that's what I think. So just to strike balance, now we have the Kenya Kwanzaa. We have now the new Secretary General that is Klaifas Malala who is taking over from the prime cabinet secretary, Moussali Mudavadi, who is, I don't know if it's insinuating or suggesting that Kenya Kwanzaa should just merge and we've had Fort Kenya and ANC coming up and saying, we're not quite in agreement with what you're saying to merge as one, but we still are backing the president, his Excellency, President William Bruto. So is there a situation within the camp itself? Are they in a row? What's going on? In as much as we would want to protect, we are also protecting our values more than even democracy. We should not leave democracy behind. Everyone has a right to form a political party. You know, all this in accordance to the law, if you want to form a political party, you are at liberty, provided you meet the requirements of the law. What we are seeing in Kenya Kwanzaa, I feel like if it should be so, then let it be out of diplomacy. Let it not be out of coercion. Because if it's out of coercion, then it's like we are now fighting to go back to the dark days, which some of us have been reading about those days. We were not there to experience the days, but I feel like it should just be conducted in a diplomatic way and not in a coercive way. All right, thank you so very much for coming and discussing the state of the nation. There are a couple of more interesting things that have been happening, but we chose to take these three would have been having very, very big elephants in the room. So once again, maybe please state your name and your purpose and then I can wind up with that. Okay, thank you. Like I stated, my name is Kaleb Ikenye. I'm a law student here in the University of Nairobi, and I'm so happy to be here today. They have always said that youths are the leaders of tomorrow, but it's like this, tomorrow has never reached. And I challenge every youth in every corner of this country that if indeed you are the leaders of tomorrow, then you must be worthy being called those leaders. We need to conduct ourselves. Let me say this, let our brains not be carried for us. Let us have our brains be for us. So thank you so much. Let's continue with these conversations. And I know that we shall one day, you know, secure our country. No, I like that, I like that. So if you are just joining us, we began the day with an introduction, then we slivered over to Stephanie Aeta with youth and career, then myself with youth in politics. And now we're gonna have a short commercial break and come back with Brian Sakwa 101 on social media, talking to a panel of gentlemen and they have a very interesting topic. I urge you not to miss it. Don't go away.