Kenya Authorities Report Four Deaths Amid Fuel Price Protest Violence

Mintesinot Niggusie

Four people were killed on Monday during protests linked to fuel price increases in several Kenyan towns, authorities said, as a nationwide transport strike paralysed movement across major cities and left commuters stranded.

Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said in a televised briefing that “we lost four Kenyans in today’s violence,” adding that more than 30 people were injured in the unrest.

The protests followed a transport shutdown announced by the Transport Sector Alliance, which said on Sunday that vehicles belonging to its member associations would stop operating from midnight in protest.

Police said they would respond to any disruptions linked to the strike, as officers deployed tear gas in parts of the country while protesters burned tyres and blocked key roads.

On Monday morning, major access routes into Nairobi were blocked by striking transport operators and scattered groups of protesters, severely disrupting mobility and leaving many commuters stranded.

In Mombasa, Kenya’s main port city, the strike raised concerns over possible delays to supply chains as transport routes were affected. The unrest comes after Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority raised retail fuel prices last week by up to 23.5 percent, following a 24.2 percent increase in the previous month, amid tightening global energy conditions linked to the Iran-related conflict.

Kenya imports nearly all its fuel from the Middle East through government-to-government arrangements with Gulf suppliers, making domestic prices highly sensitive to international market fluctuations.

The fuel price increases have pushed up transport fares and the cost of basic goods, adding pressure on households already facing elevated living costs.

Kenya set the pump price of super petrol in Nairobi at 214.25 Kenyan shillings per litre, up from 206.97, while diesel rose to 242.92 shillings from 196.63. Kerosene remained unchanged at 152.78 shillings for the May 15 to June 14 pricing cycle.

Finance Minister John Mbadi said earlier that fuel prices were already subsidised, while government ministers were expected to meet transport operators later on Monday to discuss possible solutions.