Kenya is currently grappling with a severe transport crisis triggered by unprecedented skyrocketing fuel prices, leading to widespread public anger and nationwide strikes. The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) and a broad coalition of transport groups have fiercely condemned certain unnamed industry leaders, accusing them of a "betrayal" by secretly negotiating with government officials to call off a looming mass protest. These covert meetings, held without the consent of the broader alliance, undermined days of painstaking organization for a strike intended to protest a brutal cumulative fuel price hike of up to KSh 76 per litre across diesel, petrol, and kerosene, which had aggressively driven up commuting fares and grocery prices nationwide. The breakaway faction's closed-door meeting with Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi, Roads and Transport CS Davis Chirchir, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja resulted in a minor KSh 10 reduction on diesel alone, a concession flatly rejected by MAK as a "surrender, not a victory" that failed to address the root crisis. This incident, MAK noted, mirrored past betrayals in 2018 and 2024, questioning the legitimacy of the seven-day strike suspension given the lack of legally binding agreements.

Amidst the escalating crisis, government officials have offered varying explanations and interventions. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki attributed the energy crisis to escalating geopolitical tensions, specifically the US/Israel-Iran war, which has disrupted global supply chains and increased insurance costs due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Kindiki stated that the government had already reduced VAT on fuel from 16% to 8% and deployed KSh 12 billion from the fuel stabilization fund to manage prices, asserting that without these measures, prices would have shot to KSh 300 per litre. President William Ruto has since directed an immediate interministerial intervention, ordering the Cabinet Secretaries for the National Treasury, Energy, Transport, and Interior to jointly engage transport stakeholders to establish fiscal remedies and restore normalcy.

Adding to the political turmoil, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua launched a scathing attack on the Ruto administration, demanding answers for the exorbitant fuel prices. Gachagua attributed the historic hikes to a deeply entrenched "corruption cartel" within the Ministry of Petroleum, accusing it of protecting oil dealers and inflating their profit margins from KSh 9 to KSh 12 at the expense of ordinary Kenyans. He questioned why fuel prices in Kenya were higher than in neighboring landlocked countries like Uganda, despite using the same supply routes, and called for a total overhaul of the Ministry of Petroleum leadership to dismantle the alleged syndicate.

While the transport strike unfolded, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) issued a stern warning against hijacking legitimate demonstrations for criminal activities. The DCI confirmed the arrest of 710 suspects nationwide, with the Rift Valley, Nairobi, and Central Kenya regions recording the highest numbers. Incidents of violence, looting, arson, and destruction of property were reported, including the torching of UDA party offices in Makueni, a commercial truck, a private car on Thika Superhighway, and a supermarket in Nakuru. The DCI emphasized that accountability would extend to those organizing, financing, or inciting such acts.

Concurrently, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) took steps to mitigate further pump price surges by rejecting a steep transport tariff increase requested by the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC). EPRA approved a multi-year tariff framework that retains pipeline transport charges flat for the current year (KSh 5.44 per cubic metre per kilometre for 2025/2026), with only marginal adjustments over the next two financial years. This decision significantly curtailed KPC’s ambitious demands, which would have seen charges rise to KSh 6.61 by 2028 and led to even higher retail fuel prices for consumers in inland hubs. EPRA also trimmed proposed regional depot storage and handling fees to ease pressure on oil marketing companies.

The government's handling of the crisis has drawn significant public and political criticism. President William Ruto faced backlash for sharing a lengthy congratulatory message celebrating Arsenal F.C.'s English Premier League triumph, with many Kenyans questioning the timing and perceived insensitivity given his silence on the pressing domestic fuel crisis and reported deaths and injuries during protests. Interior PS Raymond Omollo, in an interview, defended the government's response to protests, claiming criminal groups infiltrated legitimate demonstrations and that security agencies had intelligence of looting and destruction. He also highlighted plans to recruit 20,000 police officers as part of broader reforms to improve security coverage ahead of the 2027 General Election.

A fragile calm has temporarily returned to urban centers as matatu operators suspended their strike until Tuesday, May 26, 2026, following intense emergency deliberations. This seven-day window provides the government with a crucial period to broker a sustainable pricing agreement with the Transport Sector Alliance. If concrete policy shifts are not gazetted by the deadline, operators have threatened to launch an even more expansive, indefinite industrial shutdown, underscoring the deep underlying mistrust and the severe economic vulnerabilities of a nation heavily reliant on road transport.