Nairobi, March 29 -- Kenya's fledgling middle class is increasingly bearing the brunt of the high cost of living, which has been aggravated by various State policies that have pushed up prices of power, water, airtime, fuel and beer.

The middle-class' woes have been compounded after the Ruto administration started implementing policies to use the consumer class to cushion other segments of society.

Pronouncements by Kenya Kwanza officials, including economist David Ndii and Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, have made it clear that the class is not just a cash cow for the government, it should brace for more policies geared at supporting the bottom of the pyramid popularly known as the hustlers.

On Friday last week, for example, the ...