Niko hapa hivi mwembeni karibu na minazi mingi.

It's been a while sir. 1 yr or 6 months . Did you go mountain climbing or hibernation ?? good to hear from you mnandii

Yes, it is hardly much. But should have been a positive signal sentiment wise, resulting in a bounce on the indices albeit shallow and short-lived. The fact that the market didn't even blink says a lot.

Inflation has been coming down over the last couple of months-a good signal to policy makers. But the economy is worried on the Mpigs's attempt to mutilate lower prices, by planning to increase kerosine price, Wanjiku has been enjoying. Budget reading on Wednesday this week perhaps has hidden cards. If the budget contains taxation changes in favour of ordinary man then expect a rally. Investors are quiet now their inaction is clearly waiting for the budget so that the direction of the exchange can be predictable. CBK's monetary policy was positive move. As for now fiscal policy highly anticipated this week will give us a hint to hold/accumulate/selloff. I am hoping for the best despite KRA's lamentations of missing revenue collections targets.

I agree with you on this one. Kerosene is dirty and so is diesel. Both should be highly taxed.

The argument that taxing an item highly will discourage its usage is medieval and irrelevant in the 21st century. Government hiked taxes on polythene bags amid increased appetite for the wrappers by nearly all vendors countrywide. It is imperative to introduce laws that are environmentally friendly or implement alternative consumption of other energy sources in a manner rational to the populace and logical for quick uptake.

You are right. How could we doubt your wisdom? Forgive us.
* @VVS tears up his economic textbooks that discuss Elastic Demand, Inelastic Demand and Substitution. *

How does that work re: currencies?

@murchr

Seems diesel is the 'better' fuel as far as 'energy' is concerned
http://www.fool.com/inve...r-fuel-and-vehicle.aspx

Recent advances in low-emission engines despite the VW crisis should make diesel more palatable going forward. Maintenance is key for diesel engines, the matatus belching black smoke are improperly maintained. In many "Western" [eg USA, UK] countries, all vehicles over a certain age have to go for emission testing. I doubt 95% of Kenyan matatus of 4+ years can pass this test!

"Consumers may think that because of the improved fuel efficiency a diesel provides, it's a better choice for the environment. That's not entirely true: diesel vehicles produce dirty emissions, and our nation's more strict emissions regulations are among the reasons the vehicles aren't as common in the U.S. as they are in Europe. While today's diesel cars are much cleaner than in decades past, some of the emissions include carcinogens, soot, and nitrous oxide -- if you drive significantly more miles in the city and believe in taking care of the environment, a diesel may not be for you.

One pro for diesel engines is that they don't use spark plugs or distributors, which means there is no need for ignition tune-ups. On the flip side, diesels need to be regularly maintained or they can require extensive repairs, and diesel mechanics work at a much more expensive rate."

"Ultimately, if you're driving between 7,500 and 10,000 miles annually it'll be difficult to save enough on fuel costs to justify a diesel purchase. If you drive significantly more miles than average, have a lopsided amount of miles driven on the highway rather than in the city, or are looking into a vehicle that requires premium gasoline, a diesel option is certainly a good one to consider further."

No wonder diesel lorries and pick-ups are preferred coz of the significant mileage they travel in a year. Nairobi-Mombasa is 300 miles. One return trip a week = 50 x 300 x 2 = 30,000 miles.