President William Ruto will chair a high-level meeting on fuel prices after returning from an official visit to Azerbaijan.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the government is considering fresh measures to cushion Kenyans from the impact of rising fuel prices.
“We can only hope that this war will end, but even as we hope, we must make certain decisions. I am sure the government will sit again once the President returns to assess what more can be done,” Mbadi said.
“If we were to leave the prices without any intervention, diesel today would be costing not less than Sh35 more, and petrol would be costing over Sh70 more,” he added.
Furthermore, Mbadi said the matatu strike was uncalled for.
“In my view, the matatu strike is completely uncalled for, even though the prices of fuel have gone up. My concern is that we are trying to solve a global problem by applying domestic means, which is not appropriate,” he said.
Mbadi’s remarks came even after thousands of Kenyans were on Monday morning forced to walk to various destinations after a nationwide matatu strike paralysed public transport across major towns and cities. Public transport operators protested the sharp rise in fuel prices announced last week.
The disruption began at midnight on Sunday. Most matatus remained parked in depots and residential areas. Transport operators, private motorists, and ride-hailing drivers joined the strike. Organisers described it as “the mother of all strikes” in Kenya’s transport sector history.
The National Police Service (NPS) moved to assure the public of safety and order. The police warned against disruption and unlawful conduct during the demonstrations.
The National Police Service spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga announced that the service has enhanced security measures across the country. This was after reports of a planned matatu strike.
The strike follows the latest fuel price review announced by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) on May 14.
Under the new review, the price of Super Petrol increased by Sh16.65 per litre while Diesel rose by Sh46.29 per litre. Kerosene prices remained unchanged.
In Nairobi, Super Petrol now retails at Sh214.25 per litre, Diesel at Sh242.92 and Kerosene at Sh152.78 until June 14.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro also called for summoning of Parliamentary sessions to discuss the issue.
Motorists and transport operators have termed the increases excessive and unreasonable. They argue that Kenya’s fuel prices remain significantly higher than those in some neighbouring and landlocked countries. This is despite fuel imports entering the region through the Port of Mombasa.
The rise of the cost of fuel has also spiked the cost of living at large.
