For John Waweru Budget Day has lost its meaning. He says it has stopped taking into consideration the welfare of the common man.

The 50-year-old Kenya Charity Sweepstakes vendor in Nakuru Town says: "It's upon God to have mercy on the majority of Kenyans who have been reduced to beggars by the adverse effects of the economy."

With a daily income of less than Sh100, Mr Waweru, the sole breadwinner of a 14-member family, says life has become an oppressive mission as he has to struggle to buy a single day's meal.

He says it has become difficult to provide more than one meal a day for the family. He goes without lunch and only eats in the evening when he joins his wife and children.

Although Mr Waweru does not expect the situation to change much with yesterday's Budget, he says he hopes that prices of consumer goods will not go up.

He also hopes that the taxes are not raised once again as this will further affect his business because fewer people will be able to buy his lottery tickets.

Two matatu (communal taxi) touts who stopped by Mr Waweru's kiosk to try their luck the lottery had a similar tale to tell.

They said their lives have become even more precarious.

"This year alone, we have lost ten drivers in road accidents. The main cause of these accidents has been tyre bursts and head-on collisions when the drivers attempted to avoid hitting pot-holes," Bosco, a driver for the Ahadi ya Bwana Cross Road Travellers, says.

The fuel levy funds should be used to repair the roads if the government is serious about its intention to reduce the number of accidents on our roads, Mr Peter Mariga, the other tout, says.

Mr Waweru, who uses public transport to get to his stall in the town, said he hoped the cost of fuel, insurance charges, and road licenses will be reduced to enable the public transport owners to reduce their fares.

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