Chair, Association of Matatu Transport Owners, Kushian Muchiri, has accused Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir of failing to engage the public transport sector, saying the lack of dialogue pushed operators into the nationwide fuel strike.
Speaking during a TV interview on Wednesday, Muchiri detailed behind-the-scenes negotiations, government intervention attempts, and how matatu operators rejected claims that a deal had been reached over fuel prices.
Muchiri, who also serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Federation of Public Transport Sector, stressed that attempts to reach the Transport Ministry failed, forcing operators to seek intervention from other government officials.
“This is the first time in all the years that I’ve been the CEO of the federation and since I joined the association in 2018 that we’ve had a minister of transport who doesn’t meet transport stakeholders,” he noted.
The CEO contrasted Chirchir’s leadership with that of former Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen, saying previous administrations maintained close contact with industry leaders and often resolved disputes before they escalated.
“If Murkomen was still the CS for transport this strike would not have happened,” Muchiri claimed.
According to him, frustration among operators intensified after repeated efforts to secure meetings allegedly went unanswered.
He recounted one incident where transport leaders reportedly cornered Chirchir at an event at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in hopes of arranging talks, only for communication to later collapse.
Muchiri highlighted that operators were pushed into industrial action after the government announced sharp fuel price increases that triggered outrage across the transport industry.
This led to a widespread transport disruption earlier this week after matatu operators withdrew vehicles from the roads in protest against soaring diesel prices and the rising cost of living.
Muchiri's remarks come in the middle of tough debate where Kenyans took to the streets earlier this week after EPRA announced sharp fuel price increases that pushed diesel prices in Nairobi from Sh206.84 in April to Sh242.92 per litre in May, while super petrol rose to Sh214.25.
The hikes, linked to global supply disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict and pressure on oil imports through the Strait of Hormuz, triggered anger among commuters, transport operators and businesses already struggling with the high cost of living.
The protests quickly escalated into a nationwide transport strike led by the Transport Sector Alliance, matatu owners, truckers and public service vehicle operators, who demanded a Sh46 reduction in diesel prices.
Major highways in Nairobi, Mombasa and other towns were blocked as demonstrators lit bonfires and clashed with police, leaving four people dead and dozens injured.
The matatu sector eventually issued a strike notice on Friday before holding a crucial meeting on Sunday attended by more than 60 association leaders and Nairobi SACCO representatives.
Matatu Owners Association Chair explained that the gathering resolved to place all commercial vehicles on the roads in protest if the government remained unresponsive.
It was at that point, he said, that Presidential aide Dennis Itumbi intervened.
“When we couldn’t reach our minister, we tried to reach out to Dennis and that’s where he came in,” Muchiri explained.
He stated that Itumbi informed him that both Transport CS Davis Chirchir and Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi had been contacted and requested an urgent meeting with transport leaders at Transcom House.
The crisis was eventually eased after high-level consultations involving Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi, Transport CS Davis Chirchir, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, Treasury CS John Mbadi, transport associations and State House officials including Dennis Itumbi.
The Chair noted that convincing operators not to block roads proved difficult because many believed the government only reached out after realising the scale of disruption the strike would cause.
“We had to spend another one hour trying to convince our members, please, let’s just leave the roads open,” he said.
The strike later paralysed transport services in Nairobi and other towns, with thousands of commuters stranded as operators kept vehicles off the roads.
He also described tense negotiations held on Monday between government officials and transport stakeholders saying, officials initially offered an Sh8 reduction in diesel prices before revising the proposal to Sh10.
He maintained that no agreement was reached on diesel prices despite government claims suggesting otherwise.
The only area where both sides reached consensus, he said, was on measures to curb fuel adulteration by aligning diesel and kerosene prices.
The government first proposed an Sh8 reduction before agreeing to cut diesel prices by Sh10.06 to Sh232.86 per litre, while kerosene prices were raised to curb fuel adulteration.
The disagreement later triggered public confusion after government officials suggested a breakthrough had been achieved while matatu operators insisted the strike would continue.
Operators later suspended the strike for one week following fresh negotiations with government officials, although Muchiri insisted talks were still ongoing and many grievances remained unresolved.