Russia is a global powerhouse in production and exportation of fuels and energy products (63 per cent of total shipments). For Kenya, and many other countries especially in the global south, rising prices of goods battered the economy hard. “It led to a rise in fuel prices and dislocated food supply chains, thus contributing to a soaring inflation,” he says. Kenya insisted on subsidies for products such as fuel, whose prices had once again gone up during the post-pandemic recovery period. Possibly this is why the Russian- Ukraine war came as a surprise to many, despite the many red flags that had been there for several years,” says Mr Gichinga.

Source: Daily Nation February 24, 2023 01:35 UTC