Kenyans who use Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) will now have to dig deeper into their pockets to cope with the high cost of fuel that has affected matatu fares.
Matatu Owners Association (MoA) chairman Albert Karakacha said Kenyans will see a 30 per cent upward adjustment in fares.
Mr Karakacha said the changes took effect on Monday following the announcement by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) in its latest review.
The association said while it was aware of the global economic crisis that had affected many sectors, operators had not been left out as the cost of fuel and spare parts had skyrocketed.
"With effect from July 5, passengers can expect a moderate increase of 10-30 per cent on the current fares charged on various routes, including city services and long-distance trips," Mr Karakacha said.
The chairman said the Finance Act 2023, which was recently assented to by President William Ruto, had affected the prices of various items, hence the need to adjust the fares.
He said the decision was taken after extensive consultations with various stakeholders, adding that any other changes in fuel prices at the pump will also affect motorists.
"How we arrived at 30 per cent, we consulted our members across the country and if you go deeper, spare parts have gone up, loans have gone up by 5 per cent and tyres have gone up," Mr Karakacha said.
While the 2023 Finance Act is being challenged in court, matatu operators said they could not sit and wait for the court's decision because the fuel regulator had already made changes at the pump.
“If you go to all the petrol stations as we talk right now, the fuel was increased on Friday and we’ve been waiting from Friday up to yesterday and there was nothing happening, that is why we decided to increase the fare,” Mr Karakacha said.
Under the changes, matatus operating from Nairobi city centre to Eastlands and all routes within the country will pay between Sh10 and Sh30 more than the current fare.
PSVs operating between Nairobi and Kajiado, Machakos, Murang'a and Kiambu will see an increase of between Sh20 and Sh50.
Passengers travelling from Nairobi to the Nyanza region will have to pay between Sh100 and Sh200 more, as will those travelling to the Rift Valley region.
Those travelling to the Central region will have to pay Sh150 more while those travelling to Meru, Embu and Isiolo will have to pay an additional Sh100 and Sh150.
Passengers travelling from Nairobi to the Western region and back will also pay between Sh200 and Sh300 more.
The association has also called on the government to consider subsidising fuel prices for PSV operators to ease the burden on both operators and passengers.
