The countdown to the seven-day ultimatum to find a solution to the fuel crisis is on.
The one-week suspension of the strike by transport operators is lapsing day-by-day, and the pressure is mounting on the government as it seeks to avert more demonstrations come Tuesday next week.
The Nation has established that so far, nothing much has happened as the Cabinet secretaries responsible for Transport, Energy, Trade and Interior await the return of President William Ruto, who is currently on an official trip to Kazakhstan. He is due to return today.
Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) parked along Kenneth Matiba Road on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, after normal transport operations resumed in Nairobi following the matatu strike that had disrupted movement and business activities across the capital and other major towns.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo| Nation Media Group
The government, represented by the Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen and his Energy counterpart Opiyo Wandayi, on Tuesday agreed with transport sector stakeholders to find a solution within seven days.
However, the chairpersons of different transport sector associations have said that they will not accept anything less than the demands they placed before the government, including significant reductions in fuel prices.
In an exclusive interview with the Nation , the national chairperson of the Matatu Owners Association (MOA), Albert Karakacha, said that members will not be intimidated and that their grievances must be addressed.
Albert Karakacha, National Chairman of the Matatu Owners Association (MOA), addresses the media at their Nairobi CBD offices, announcing a 25 percent increase in bus fares following the recent rise in fuel prices.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi| Nation Media Group
Among their demands is fuel liberalisation to end direct State-controlled pricing of fuel in the market, disbandment of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra), fuel subsidies and an end to the ‘sanctioned’ bribes for traffic police officers.
The transporters have demanded a reduction of Sh46 from the price of a litre of diesel announced last week by Epra. Despite the government’s announcement on Monday that the price will be cut by Sh10, the transport sector, which largely uses diesel, says this is insufficient.
“We are still waiting to be called for another meeting, but our irreducible minimum is Sh46. They have given us Sh10, but we are now pushing for the remaining Sh36,” Mr Karakacha said.
According to him, the sector spends a lot of money settling loans and meeting daily costs, including the bribes demanded by traffic police officers.
“The Sh46 that we are talking about is what covers the daily loan repayment, the county seasonal parking fees, service, salaries for the conductor and driver. If they give us the whole Sh46, we will be okay and the strike will be called off, for now, it is suspended,” Mr Karakacha added.
Rig Owners Association Chairperson Cornelius Chepsoi (center), Federation of Public Transport Sector CEO Kushian Muchiri (left) and Matatu Owners Association President Albert Karakacha address journalists in Nairobi on May 17, 2026.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group
He added that matatu drivers have been suffering due to the high cost of fuel and spare parts, both of which have become pricey.
Mr Karakacha also said that they are depending on the same meeting to resolve the issues with insurance companies and financial institutions, which have been putting pressure on them.
“We are paying more taxes across county governments and the national government taxes. We are using a lot of money, and we also have corruption where the police take the money by force,” he said.
The MOA chairperson said that sitting down with the President will be their last option, as he will be able to look for the money that will be used to cut the cost of fuel.
“If they don’t, everything is going to hike and it is going to hit hard the common mwananchi. We are protecting common Kenyans and we don’t want to increase fares,” he said.
The stakeholders have also asked President Ruto to push for electric vehicles, which will ensure that the sector is not paralysed due to the high cost of fuel.
Forward Travellers chairperson Peter Mwangi said that the government needs to bring back fuel subsidies to cushion Kenyans and ensure that roads are well tarmacked to reduce the time and money they spend repairing their vehicles.
Mr Mwangi also dismissed the allegations being spread on social media that the government bribed them to suspend the strike.
“There is no one who was compromised. The person that persuaded us to suspend the strike is Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja since we have a good relationship with the county. In case anyone among us was compromised, we can do our own investigation,” Mr Mwangi said.
He also dismissed the allegations that some of them have been politically motivated to sabotage the current regime.
On the presence of Mr Dennis Itumbi at the high-level meetings, Mr Mwangi said that they are the ones who reached out to him to have the meeting with the government.
Mr Itumbi’s name has been the subject of controversy online as Kenyans questioned his role in the matau sector talks, yet he is the head of the Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy Coordination unit.
