In Kenya today, nothing pinches more than the cost of living. From Unga that keeps getting more expensive, to fuel that eats half of a boda boda rider’s income, to the tax deductions that never seem to end, everyday Kenyans feel the squeeze.
But behind all this is something that sounds distant and technical, fiscal policy.
Most people will tell you fiscal policy is for economists in suits. But Mwelekeo Insights, one of Kenya’s leading research firms, has changed that story.
They have made it their mission to explain how government decisions on taxes, debt, and spending hit home for the mama mboga in Gikomba, the fresh graduate in Nairobi, or the boda boda rider in Kisumu.
Mweleko Insights research analyst Tony Nyakoko gestures during a past episodee. Photo: Mwelekeo TV Source: YouTube.
“Fiscal policies aren’t just about numbers on paper, but about daily realities,” says Fridah Mong’are, one of the firm’s researchers and host of Mwelekeo TV.
“When Unga prices rise, when bus fares go up, when airtime becomes more expensive, that’s fiscal policy showing up in your life.”
Her colleague, Tonny Nyakoko, puts it even more plainly. “Fiscal policy is not abstract, it shapes daily life. Every shilling you pay in tax is a stake in Kenya’s future. The question is, are we seeing that future?”
That raw honesty has made Mwelekeo Insights stand out. Instead of just crunching numbers, they sit with Kenyans, listen to frustrations, and connect them to what is happening at the Treasury.
Their research has shown that while Kenyans pay more, they often do not see services improve. That gap between sacrifice and delivery has bred mistrust.
Fridah Mong’are speaks during a latest episode on Fiscal policies. Photo:Mwelekeo Insights. Source: Facebook
But they do not stop at pointing out problems. Their reports also propose real solutions, fairer taxation, cutting wastage, and investing in sectors that directly ease people’s struggles, like agriculture, jobs, and healthcare.
In a country where policy talk often feels like it belongs in boardrooms, Mwelekeo Insights has made it feel like a conversation in the matatu, at the market, or in your own kitchen table. They have given research a heartbeat.
