Protesters’ bonfires light up Nairobi
Police arrest scores of protesters
Hoodlums loot shops and warehouses
By Toby TAIWO
In spite of the rise in global fuel prices occasioned by the ongoing Iran war, Kenyans are blaming the government for raising fuel prices.
According to Godwin Iraki, a trader, “The price of fuel has gone up to an unsustainable level, (with) a ripple effect on the economy,” he told AFP, calling on the government to cushion the blow. The government is responsible because it determines the price… It takes a lot of money from fuel for taxes,” said Iraki
Since the start of the Middle East conflict, Kenya has raised petrol prices by 20 percent, while diesel has increased by up to 45.8 percent.
Protests erupted in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on Monday as a nationwide public transport strike began in protest against rising fuel prices.
The Kenya Association of Private Schools had advised its members to assess the safety of students going to school, and most schools opted for online learning.
Kenya’s fuel prices hit a record high on Friday, with the diesel price increasing by 23.5% and gasoline by 8%.
President William Ruto, who has been out of the country, is yet to comment on the new prices. In the last price review in April, he attributed it to the Iran war but reduced the taxes to prevent a sharp increase in price at the time.
The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Friday said the increased prices would affect all commodities and services in the country.
“The April–May comparison shows that while global crude oil prices increased by about 10.7%, Kenya’s diesel price rose by 23.5% over the same period. This points to the continued role of domestic cost buildup,” the chamber of commerce said in a statement.
Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, who joined the opposition after his impeachment in October 2024 over corruption, blamed the sharp rise on corrupt businesspeople who want to increase their profit margins.
He compared the fuel prices to those in neighboring landlocked countries that rely on Kenyan ports for the importation of fuel, such as Uganda, where prices are lower.
Kenya serves as a major transport hub for businesspeople importing goods through the port of Mombasa to be ferried by road.
