Kisii County Senator Sam Ongeri has slammed President Uhuru Kenyatta following his recommendation to reduce the VAT on petroleum products from 16 per cent to eight per cent.
Uhuru said if Parliament accepts the proposal, petrol price will drop from Sh127 to Sh118 while diesel will drop from Sh115 to Sh107.
Ongeri, however, argued that the eight per cent drop is still not fair to poor Kenyans.
"The Head of State could have dropped the prices further and make it at least Sh110 per liter instead of Sh118. More people will not afford to buy petrol due to low-income levels," he said in Kisii town on Friday.
Ongeri said the Jubilee government should carry its own cross of repaying loans.
"Uhuru's government has been borrowing carelessly from foreign countries. Kenyans can't be forced to repay the loans because the government borrowed without involving the public. It is time the Jubilee government should consider finding alternatives to repay the loans and not hiking prices to commodities which will be a burden to poor citizens," he noted.
The ODM Senator further urged MPs not to back Uhuru's new proposal on petrol prices.
"I am calling on MPs to ensure the prices to petroleum products comes down. Let the lawmakers reject the President's new proposal and bring down the prices to make it affordable to our people especially those in the transport sector," added Ongeri.