Tanzania, April 23 -- Dar es Salaam. A regional debate over rising fuel prices has intensified after Kenyan President William Ruto attributed the country's high pump costs to its expansive road network and middle-income status.

However, economists and emerging regional data suggest that this explanation may not fully account for the widening price differences across East Africa and beyond, pointing instead to taxation policies and state interventions as more decisive factors.

Speaking during a church service at Karen AGC Church in Nairobi on April 19, President Ruto cautioned against direct comparisons between Kenya and its neighbours, arguing that structural economic differences must be taken into account.

"Kenya is a middle-income co...