Sam Atandi slams Ndidi Nyoro over fuel levy remarks
By Mabonga Makhanu, July 16, 2025Alego Usonga MP and National Assembly Budget Committee Chairperson Sam Atandi has launched a fierce attack against his predecessor, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, over recent remarks concerning the fuel levy.
Taking to his official X account on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Atandi dismissed Nyoro’s criticism of the government’s move to securitise a portion of the fuel levy.
He defended the policy as legal and necessary for national development, accusing Nyoro of politicising the issue for personal relevance.
Atandi suggested that Nyoro’s persistent focus on the matter stems from frustration over being sidelined in current budget-making processes.
He hinted that Nyoro was struggling to come to terms with losing influence over key financial decisions, framing his outbursts as driven by a misplaced sense of entitlement.
”There is nothing illegal about the securitisation of a proportion of the fuel levy! Obsession by Hon. Ndindi Nyoro on this subject has everything to do with his own power “hangover” & entitlement over sharing of public resources, in which his absence at the real table is a misnomer,” Atandi said.
Nyoro’s concerns
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has recently criticised the Kenyan government’s explanation for the sharp increase in fuel prices, attributing the hike to excessive domestic taxation and opaque borrowing practices rather than rising global oil prices.
He pointed out that over KSh 80 per litre of petrol and KSh 76 per litre for other fuels are consumed by taxes and levies.
Nyoro revealed that in 2023, the government introduced a Ksh7 per litre fuel levy during a period of declining global oil prices, thereby denying Kenyans the relief they should have received.
More concerning, he stated that the government used this fuel levy as collateral to secure a Ksh175 billion loan without parliamentary approval, describing the move as “illegal” and noting that it is not recorded in official public debt registers.
He raised critical questions regarding the identity of the lenders and the terms of the loan—including interest rates and the long-term implications for Kenya’s economic sovereignty.
Nyoro warned that such practices could set a dangerous precedent, potentially allowing future administrations to securitise other public levies such as VAT or PAYE.
He called on the National Treasury to provide full transparency and demanded a public audit of all off-book borrowing.