NAIROBI, Kenya — Fresh protests were witnessed in Nyeri and Nyahururu on Monday as residents demonstrated over high fuel prices despite the government announcing a deal with matatu operators following talks with President William Ruto in Mombasa.
The demonstrators lit bonfires along sections of roads and marched through the towns chanting anti-high cost of living slogans, accusing the government of failing to sufficiently address the economic burden facing ordinary Kenyans.
Police officers were deployed to monitor the protests and clear roads blocked by burning tyres, leading to brief running battles in some sections as protesters resisted efforts to disperse them.
However, there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or destruction.
The protests came just days after President Ruto held urgent consultations with matatu sector stakeholders at State House, Mombasa, in a bid to avert a nationwide transport shutdown over soaring fuel prices.
Following the meeting, matatu operators called off a planned nationwide strike after the government pledged a further reduction in diesel prices during the next monthly fuel review cycle.
Speaking after the Mombasa talks, Matatu Owners Association chairman Albert Karakacha confirmed that operators had agreed to suspend industrial action as negotiations with the government continue.
President Ruto also announced that diesel prices would be reduced by an additional Sh10 per litre in the June-July pricing cycle in a move aimed at easing pressure on transport operators and consumers.
Even so, frustrations remain high in several parts of the country, with wananchi arguing that the recent fuel hikes have sharply increased transport fares, food prices and the overall cost of living.
The current crisis was triggered after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) raised diesel prices by more than 23 per cent in the latest pricing cycle, prompting matatu operators to threaten a nationwide strike and announce fare increases of up to 50 per cent.
Earlier protests over fuel prices paralysed transport operations in Nairobi and several towns last week, with thousands of commuters stranded as matatus kept off the roads.
While the government has blamed the fuel increases on global supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East, critics insist high taxes and levies on petroleum products continue to worsen the burden on Kenyan households.
President William Ruto’s administration has defended the latest fuel price adjustments, attributing them to global supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East and rising international oil prices.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi recently maintained that Kenya was already subsidising fuel prices and could not fully shield itself from global shocks.
Last week, similar protests and transport disruptions were witnessed in Nairobi, Nakuru, Kitengela, Kakamega and other towns during a nationwide matatu strike over fuel prices.
In parts of Nyeri and along the Nyeri–Nyahururu road, demonstrators also lit bonfires and barricaded roads as commuters were left stranded.
