4 killed as Kenyans protest rising fuel prices

Four people died in protests in Kenya on Monday over fuel price hikes triggered by the Middle East war, while the public transport system was paralysed by demonstrators barricading roads. One of many African countries dependent on fuel imports from the Gulf, Kenya has been heavily hit by Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of […]

Four people died in protests in Kenya on Monday over fuel price hikes triggered by the Middle East war, while the public transport system was paralysed by demonstrators barricading roads.

One of many African countries dependent on fuel imports from the Gulf, Kenya has been heavily hit by Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil normally passes.

Last week, the Kenyan government announced price hikes in response to rising global oil prices, including a 23.5-per cent increase for diesel, triggering a call for a strike by transport workers.

Protesters barricaded roads and lit bonfires on the outskirts of the capital, Nairobi, early on Monday and tried to stop cars and “boda boda” motorbikes, an AFP journalist saw.

“It’s unfortunate that we lost four Kenyans in today’s violence, which also saw more than 30 people injured,” interior minister Kipchumba Murkomen told reporters.

While most of Kenya remained peaceful, he said “criminal elements” had been mobilised to target government and personal property.

He said it was “unfortunate that today’s protests have once again been hijacked by political actors for political ends”.

The massive nationwide transport strike has completely paralysed Kenya, leaving thousands of commuters stranded, forcing schools to shut down, and bringing businesses to a sudden halt.

By Monday morning, major highways and normally bustling commuter routes in the capital city of Nairobi were practically ghost towns. The near-total absence of matatus—the privately owned minibuses that form the backbone of Kenya’s public transit system—forced thousands of desperate workers to trek for miles on foot just to reach their destinations.

For many others, travelling was simply impossible. Some business owners in Nairobi chose to keep their storefronts locked out of safety concerns, while several schools proactively instructed parents to keep their children at home.

Clashes, mass arrests

The peaceful boycott quickly gave way to volatile protests in several pockets of the country. Demonstrators blocked key arterial roads using rocks, debris, and burning tyres to ensure the shutdown remained absolute.

In parts of Nairobi and various regional hubs, police deployed tear gas to disperse crowds who were reportedly stopping and harassing private motorists attempting to navigate the blockades.

According to Nairobi police commander Issa Mohamud, the demonstrations turned violent in some areas, resulting in injuries to six police officers.

He noted that rioters damaged five police vehicles and one civilian car.

Ahead of the strike, law enforcement authorities had issued strict warnings against disruptive conduct, promising heavy security measures.

By the afternoon, Mohamud confirmed that police had arrested 225 people in connection with the unrest.

The current unrest is fueled by a staggering 20% increase in petroleum prices announced last week by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra).

The regulatory body pushed the price of diesel and petrol to an unprecedented high of 242 shillings ($1.80) per litre.

This dramatic spike is directly linked to global geopolitical friction. Like many of its African neighbours, Kenya depends heavily on fuel imports from the Gulf region.

This critical supply chain was severely disrupted by the US-Israel conflict with Iran that erupted earlier this year on February 28. Even though a fragile ceasefire has since been declared in that conflict, fuel prices have refused to drop.

The primary bottleneck remains the strategic Strait of Hormuz—a maritime chokepoint where a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes—which continues to be blocked, keeping international oil prices artificially inflated.

‘Life is unbearable’

The economic ripples of the strike are being felt far beyond the bus stops. At the edges of the capital, citizens expressed deep frustration over how quickly the price hikes have translated into daily hardship.

“There is no matatu anywhere,” a resident of Kitengela named Charles told reporters. “We used to pay 100 to 150 shillings; right now it’s 300. Life is becoming so unbearable. So please, President [William] Ruto, wherever you are, if you can listen to us Kenyans, please lower those fuel prices.”

The transport paralysis has also choked domestic and cross-border trade. A bus conductor travelling from neighbouring Tanzania shared that his vehicle, packed with passengers travelling for business and work, was stopped dead in its tracks at Kajiado, a town 75 kilometres outside Nairobi, due to impenetrable police and protester roadblocks.

Meanwhile, Abdi Suleiman, a motorist operating in the southeastern border town of Taveta, explained that he has been entirely unable to supply his usual shipments of food items sourced from Tanzania, threatening local food supply chains.

The Transport Sector Alliance (TSA), the coalition representing the transport operators, has dug in its heels. The alliance explicitly urged all road users—including private drivers, corporate truckers, and matatu operators—to participate in the shutdown. “This action is not only for transport operators, but for every Kenyan citizen,” the TSA stated, accusing the government of failing to protect its citizens from inflation.

The alliance is demanding a total reversal of last week’s price hike, calling for a 35% reduction in overall fuel costs.

The government, however, is preaching patience while holding its ground. Speaking on local television, Treasury Minister John Mbadi acknowledged that the fuel hike was “unfortunate” and was actively harming the economy.

“However, he dismissed the nationwide strike as “completely uncalled for,” arguing that the administration must make rational, unemotional choices. “Why are we trying to solve a global problem using domestic means?” Mbadi questioned.

While the government previously slashed the Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel from 16% to 8% to cushion citizens, and Mbadi hinted at considering further tax relief if global prices remain high, no concrete agreement has been reached.

With both sides at a bitter stalemate, Kenyans are bracing themselves for a prolonged crisis as fears mount that the transport paralysis could stretch into the coming days.