The good news for the public, school kids and transport business owners and workers is that the transport operators and the government have agreed to suspend the strike and get people travelling around the country.
Transport operators in Kenya have suspended their nationwide strike following talks with the government over rising fuel prices.
The operators say the suspension will remain in place until next Tuesday to allow for further negotiations with the government.
The move comes after the nationwide strike, which brought the capital Nairobi and other cities to a standstill, entered a second day on Tuesday.
At least four people were killed and 30 injured in Monday’s protests, with more than 700 arrested nationwide, according to the authorities.
On Tuesday, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said the deal to end the strike came after consultations with public transport representatives, and negotiations “at a higher level” would be conducted within the next week.
“We have had a breakthrough not because we are satisfied, but we want to give negotiations a chance,” said Edwin Mukabane, the national chairman of the Federation of Public Transport Sector.
“If this is not taken seriously within the seven days, the strike will be back on,” he added
Major roads in Nairobi were still largely empty on Tuesday morning with businesses shut and schools closed.
Like the previous day, many Kenyans were forced to walk to their destinations, although a small number of public transport vehicles reportedly resumed services on some routes.
Police were patrolling parts of the city to maintain security amid reports of protesters blocking some routes.
Police urged demonstrators to remain peaceful, and not to loot and destroy properties.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said investigations into Monday’s demonstrations were ongoing, with many of the suspects already arraigned in court.
Kenyan rights group Vocal Africa denounced “the use of lethal force by law enforcement”.
The state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) called for immediate investigations into the violence and destruction of property, and urged the police to exercise restraint.
On Monday, groups representing the transport sector held a meeting with the government. Energy Minister Opiyo Wandayi announced they had agreed to reduce the price of diesel.
The energy regulator subsequently reduced its cost by 10 shillings while retaining the cost of petrol at 214 shillings.
DCI Probes Mazda CX-5 Fire During Thika Road Protests
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is reviewing video footage related to the vehicle fire on Thika Road during Monday’s protests. This investigation focuses on incidents of violence and property destruction.
A black Mazda CX-5 was set on fire in Githurai amid demonstrations linked to a nationwide transport strike over rising fuel prices. The protests intensified in parts of Nairobi and its outskirts.
The DCI is analyzing digital evidence believed to show individuals suspected of being involved in the incident.
The DCI stated, “We are examining viral video footage featuring individuals among the prime suspects in the Mazda CX-5 fire during today’s protests.”
The vehicle was engulfed in flames, creating significant disruptions for commuters on a day marked by transport paralysis and confrontations between protesters and police.
The DCI highlighted that this incident posed serious risks to public safety and property, and investigations are ongoing.
“This incident endangered lives and caused significant property damage. Detectives are actively pursuing leads to identify and apprehend those responsible.”
The problem Kenyans will have to face is that when we have a situation like the fuel protests in Kenya when young people are coming to the streets with the sole purpose of burning people’s buildings and vehicles and everywhere is covered with raging fire and destruction of property you create the image that demonstrations in Kenya are for violent outburst that just hurts so many other Kenyans.
Protests and demonstrations have been a big part of helping Kenya achieve whatever little democracy and progress we have as a country. In my days at Nairobi University sometimes I spent more time in the streets demonstrating against the Moi dictatorship than in the lecture halls trying to graduate and go look for a job and every time we spent out there and all the beatings and imprisonment we got were worth it by a long shot because that helped our country get where we are today.
It is through the protests and national demos that we killed Moi’s one party dictatorship. It is through the same efforts by Kenyans that the country achieved the new constitution in 2010.
The difference between those demonstrations over the years and what Kenyans just saw in the last three days can be seen by what is happening in our streets today specifically in Nairobi City.
The idle opposition politicians who themselves never go to any demonstrations who are steering the country towards chaos, lawlessness and anarchy as the new form of protests in Kenya are killing the spirit of Kenyans to go to the streets to fight for what is good for their country.
Kenyans have seen their doctors having a strike and holding demonstrations and they never burn people’s property and cars and Kenyans respect them for that and fully supports them every time.
Gen Z Kenyans had their demos against the Finance Bill in 2024/25 and Kenyans had tremendous support and respect for them because they genuinely held peaceful demonstrations even though the political leaders sent their goons there to rob business and burn shops but those were a minority goons sent by the opposition loudmouth who everybody knows.
The Gen Z demonstrations earned the respect of Kenyans because they were focused on what the country needed not just coming out to burn everything and make life impossible for Kenyans in urban centres. There was no fire burning anywhere as we saw during the Gen Z Demonstrations.
