Leaders out to extract political capital from fuel crisis

A worker at a petrol station in Nairobi. [File, AFP]

History tends to elevate leaders forged in adversity. Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt rose to prominence amid the upheaval of the Second World War, their reputations burnished by resolve under pressure. Others were scoundrels who secured a more ignominious place in the historical record.

The current turmoil in the Middle East too carries global consequences that may yet distinguish the capable from the wanting amongst today's leaders. Nearer home, the conflict has triggered an energy squeeze. Vital petroleum supplies, essential to the functioning of the economy, have become ensnared in supply chain disruptions that lie beyond the immediate reach of local policymakers.