Thousands of commuters were left stranded across Nairobi on Monday morning as the Kenya transport strike took hold, emptying bus stages, deserted matatu termini and forcing office workers, traders and students to walk several kilometres along major highways in search of any way to get to work.
The industrial action, which the Transport Sector Alliance (TSA) declared “99 per cent successful,” is being described as one of the most broadly coordinated transport shutdowns in the country’s recent history.
Triggers for the Kenya Transport Strike
The Kenya transport strike was set in motion after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) on 14 May announced its latest monthly fuel price review. Under the new pricing cycle, which took effect on 15 May and runs to 14 June 2026, EPRA raised the maximum pump price of super petrol by Sh16.65 per litre to Sh214.25, while diesel recorded a far sharper climb of Sh46.29 per litre, pushing it to Sh242.92 in Nairobi.
EPRA attributed the increases to the rising average landed cost of imported petroleum products, noting in its statement that diesel import costs had jumped by 20.32 per cent between March and April 2026.
For transport operators already stretched by a previous increase in April, when petrol rose by Sh28.69 and diesel by Sh40.30 per litre, the latest adjustment was a breaking point.
Who Is Behind the Shutdown
The action is coordinated through the Transport Alliance, a coalition that on Sunday 17 May issued a joint statement confirming the strike would begin at midnight.
“Following a high-level consultative meeting held today, Sunday, 17th May 2026, all stakeholders in Kenya’s transport sector have unanimously reaffirmed that no vehicle shall move starting midnight today,” the statement read, as reported by The Star.
According to AllAfrica, the TSA brings together the Federation of Public Transport Sector, Matatu Owners Association, Rig Owners Association, Motorist Association of Kenya, Truckers Association of Kenya, Digital Taxi Association of Kenya, Association of Bus Operators, Digital Boda Drivers and Deliveries Association, Tour Guide Association, Driving School Association, Counties Commuters Welfare Association, and private motorists.
Major PSV firms including Super Metro, Metro Trans, Forward Travellers SACCO, Latema Travellers and Countrylink also announced they were withdrawing their fleets.
The Kenya Transport Strike Turns Nairobi to a ‘Walking City’
The scenes on Monday morning told their own story. According to Capital FM, which conducted a spot check across major corridors, bus stops were packed with commuters while matatu termini along Thika Road, Mombasa Road, Waiyaki Way, Jogoo Road and Ngong Road stayed deserted.
Kenyans.co.ke confirmed that few or no vehicles were operating on major city routes from midnight, forcing hundreds of people into long walks to work during the peak morning hour.
Boda boda riders took advantage of the vacuum, abandoning ride-hailing apps and reverting to roadside pick-ups, with some carrying two passengers at a time along key corridors including Kiambu Road and Thika Road, Capital FM reported.
Fares doubled on the few remaining matatus. Eastleigh Voice reported that some remaining vehicles were charging Sh200 for trips normally priced at Sh100 to the Nairobi CBD.
Schools were also affected. Eastleigh Voice cited a notice from a school in Thika Town, Kiambu County, that told parents to keep learners home “until normalcy returns.” The Kenya Private Schools Association issued a wider advisory urging its member institutions to take precautionary measures to protect learners and staff.
What the Alliance Is Demanding
The Transport Alliance’s demands go beyond a simple price rollback. According to Kenyans.co.ke, the coalition behind Kenya transport strike, is calling for the immediate withdrawal of the 14 May fuel price increase. The reduction of petrol and diesel to approximately Sh152 per litre with a long-term target of Sh140 to Sh150. And finally, the resignation or dismissal of Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, and the disbandment of EPRA itself.
The group is also calling for the revival of the Changamwe Oil Refinery and the restoration of a competitive, free-market fuel procurement system to replace the current government-to-government arrangement.
“Enough is enough. Fuel is the lifeblood of the economy. When fuel prices rise beyond reason, the entire nation suffers,” the alliance said in its joint statement, cited by AllAfrica.
The alliance also pointed to the fact that kerosene prices were left unchanged in the same EPRA review, with Radio Generation Kenya quoting the Motorists Association of Kenya as saying: “The fact that kerosene/paraffin prices were not increased exposes the government’s dishonesty, because it proves there was no genuine justification for raising fuel prices in the first place.”
The Government’s Response
Speaking during an interview with NTV Kenya on Monday, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi described the Kenya transport strike as unnecessary.
“In my view, the strike is completely uncalled for even though the prices of fuel have gone up,” Mbadi told NTV. My concern is that we are trying to solve a global problem, applying domestic means, which is not appropriate.” He linked the fuel surge to disruptions in global oil markets caused by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, adding that the national budget was already under strain.
The National Police Service (NPS) also weighed in, with spokesman Muchiri Nyaga saying in a statement on Sunday evening that security had been enhanced across the country. The NPS pointed to the United Transport Association of Kenya (UTAK), which has distanced itself from the strike and confirmed continued operations by its members, as evidence that the shutdown did not represent the whole sector.
A Court Challenge Already Filed
The Kenya transport strike is also playing out in the courts. The Star reported that a petitioner, Francis Awino, has filed an urgent petition before the Constitutional and Human Rights Division of the High Court, naming EPRA as the first respondent alongside the Cabinet Secretaries for National Treasury, Energy and Petroleum, and Investments, Trade and Industry, as well as the Attorney General.
Awino’s petition seeks conservatory orders to suspend the 15 May to 14 June fuel prices, arguing they are unconstitutional, economically punitive, and lacking in transparency.
No Talks Announced as Disruption Deepens
The longer the Kenya transport strike holds, the greater the pressure on President William Ruto’s administration to respond. Kenya’s road network carries the bulk of domestic logistics, and any sustained disruption will ripple quickly into food supply chains, manufacturing and retail.
The country also serves as the logistics gateway for Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi and parts of eastern Congo through the Northern Corridor, meaning cargo shutdowns reach well beyond Kenya’s borders.
As of Monday morning, no formal government negotiations had been publicly announced. The ball remains with Nairobi.
