Premium
Fuel price strike called off after talks with Ruto
Kenya's transport stakeholders on Friday called off a looming strike set for next week with immediate effect, following talks with President William Ruto in Mombasa.
In a televised press conference with President Ruto by their side, they said most of their demands had been addressed.
President William Ruto with transport sector stakeholders at State House, Mombasa, on May 22, 2026.
Transport sector bosses had called a nationwide strike on Monday this week, triggering a crisis in most towns on Monday and Tuesday.
But on Tuesday, following talks with the government, their associations suspended the strike for one week to allow for further negotiations.
Speaking Friday after a crisis meeting with transport stakeholders, President Ruto said the government would cut the price of diesel by Sh10 to provide relief to consumers, coming a week after its price hit Sh242.92 per litre in Nairobi, the highest in Kenya's recorded history. The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) reviewed the price downwards to Sh232.86 after protests this week while the price of petrol remained unchanged at Sh214.25.
However, President Ruto said the cut in diesel prices will be factored into the June/July price cycle, not immediately.
He also said his government had spent at least Sh28.1 billion to reduce fuel prices between April and June. This, he said, will deal a further blow to Kenya's strained public finances. Kenya's total debt service reached 71.2 percent of ordinary revenue in the 2024/25 fiscal year, up from 50 percent four years earlier.
Additional report by Reuters
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
