NAIROBI, Kenya – Hundreds of commuters are stranded along the Thika Superhighway and in different parts of Nairobi after a nationwide transport strike brings public transit to a standstill.
The strike, which begun on Monday, May 18, at midnight, unites matatu saccos, the Matatu Owners Association, the Truckers Association of Kenya, as well as digital taxi and boda boda operators in a coordinated shutdown of services.
In densely populated estates along Thika Superhighway such as Kahawa West, Zimmerman, Githurai, and Roysambu, commuters experience severe disruptions as transport options disappear from the roads.
Many residents are forced to walk long distances to work while others face inflated fares.
The protest is fueled by growing frustration within the transport sector over recent government policies that operators say have become economically unbearable.
Among their key demands is the immediate reversal of steep fuel price increases introduced by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), which operators argue have sharply driven up transport fares and further burdened Kenyans already grappling with the high cost of living.
In the latest fuel review, EPRA pushed the price of Super Petrol in Nairobi to Sh214.25 per litre while diesel surged to Sh242.92 per litre.
As the situation unfolds, law enforcement agencies intensify security operations across major roads in Nairobi.
Police officers have established roadblocks along key transport corridors, including Thika Road and Mombasa Road, in an effort to control crowds and prevent possible unrest.
