Matatu Owners Rule Out Strike Over Diesel Hike, But Warn Commuters Will Pay the Price
Matatu owners have ruled out a strike over the latest increase in diesel prices, but they say ordinary Kenyans will still feel the pain. Albert Karakacha, president of the Matatu Owners Association (MOA), spoke on Sunday, October 18, and dismissed fears of a sector-wide shutdown. He said transport operators are business people who will find a way to survive the new prices.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) recently announced a new high for diesel, which will now sell at KSh 227.76 per litre for the next one month, covering the October to November cycle. Karakacha admitted the increase is hard for operators, but he said the real victims will be the wananchi who depend on matatus every day to get to work, school and the market. Operators will have to pass the extra cost on through higher fares, he said, and he feels sorry for the customers who will carry that burden.
This is not the first time the sector has been pushed to the edge. In May 2026, operators withdrew their services to pressure the government into lowering pump prices. The strike started on Monday, May 18, and left many commuters stranded in towns and along major highways. In some areas, protests linked to the fuel crisis turned violent, and Reuters reported four people dead and more than 30 injured.
The strike was suspended on May 19 to allow talks, then fully called off on May 22 after President William Ruto met transport leaders at State House Mombasa. The government later cut diesel prices by KSh10 per litre, bringing it down to KSh222.86 for the June 15 to July 14 cycle.
Now Karakacha says the president went back on his word. According to him, Ruto had promised in May to keep diesel prices stable in the coming months, despite the unstable situation in the Middle East. He also claimed the government had agreed in Mombasa to help bring in more than 100,000 electric public service vehicles to reduce the country’s dependence on diesel. He said talks on the electric buses are still ongoing, and that if the president gives a clear direction on how these vehicles will be acquired, the fuel problem will be solved.
Meanwhile, the Counties Commuters Welfare Association (COCOWA) has given EPRA 14 days to reverse the latest fuel price increases or face legal action. Speaking through a press conference on Sunday, October 18, the association said the October price review was done without public participation and without consulting transport sector players. It warned that commuters will be the ones paying the price through higher fares.
The latest pump review has caught many Kenyans off guard. Petrol went up by Ksh12 per litre, diesel rose by Ksh9, and kerosene was the hardest hit with an increase of Ksh28 per litre. Activists and human rights defenders are now planning a nationwide protest on Tuesday, October 20, to demand relief from rising fuel prices and the high cost of living.
For now, all eyes are on the government. Matatu owners say they will keep running their business, but the next two weeks will show whether COCOWA’s ultimatum and Tuesday’s protests will push the government to rethink its pricing decisions.
