Ruto breaks silence over claims he pushed matatu owners to call off strike
By Aloys Michael, May 28, 2026President William Ruto has denied claims that he pressured matatu operators into calling off their planned nationwide strike, saying the decision was reached after transport sector leaders reviewed the facts surrounding the ongoing fuel crisis.
This even as the Matatu Workers Union (MWU) threatens a strike citing exclusion from the recent fuel talks in Mombasa.
Speaking on Thursday, May 28, 2026, during the National Prayer Breakfast at Safari Park in Nairobi, Ruto said he held lengthy discussions with stakeholders in the transport sector to explain the government’s position on rising fuel prices and the measures being taken to stabilise supply.
The President said the meeting lasted about three hours and focused on the current fuel situation, including lessons learnt from the 2022 fuel shortages that saw motorists queue for hours at petrol stations across the country.
The fuel crisis followed the May 14, 2026, review by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), which raised the price of Super Petrol by Ksh16.65 per litre and Diesel by Ksh46.29 per litre. The adjustments pushed pump prices in Nairobi to Ksh214.25 for petrol and Ksh242.92 for diesel.
Ruto said he also reflected on earlier meetings held with oil marketers after taking office, where the government discussed the impact of fuel subsidies and the need to maintain economic stability.
According to the President, transport operators independently chose to suspend the strike after understanding the government’s interventions and the realities facing the fuel sector.
“Today, the government is subsidising fuel. The actual price of diesel should be Ksh273, but it is Ksh232. When we finished, they told me, Mr President, we are going to call off the strike. I did not tell them to call off the strike; they looked at the facts. I know many people said they were influenced this way and that way, maybe they were, by the facts of what the situation is,” he said.
Ruto insisted that no directive was issued to compel operators to abandon the industrial action.
“I did not tell them (transport sector leaders) to call off the strike. They looked at the facts. Many people said they were influenced this way or that way. Maybe they were, by the facts of what the situation is.”
Fuel protests
On May 22, 2026, matatu operators officially called off the planned strike after consultations with President Ruto.
The operators had initially suspended the strike for seven days to pave the way for talks with the government following demonstrations that disrupted public transport services in several parts of the country over soaring fuel costs.
While addressing the nation from State House in Mombasa, Ruto announced that the government would further reduce diesel prices by Ksh10 per litre in the June-July fuel review cycle.
If implemented, the reduction is expected to lower diesel prices in Nairobi to about Ksh222.86 per litre, offering relief to public transport operators, farmers, manufacturers and logistics firms.
Matatu Owners Association (MOA) National Chairman Albert Karakacha said the government’s latest intervention and continued engagement with stakeholders convinced operators to abandon plans for further protests.
“We have called off the strike. We had suspended the strike, but we have called it off. We will not have a strike next week; we are going to work,” Karakacha said on May 22.
He also thanked the government for efforts aimed at stabilising fuel prices and sustaining economic activity.
Karakacha further praised Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja for helping mediate between the government and transport operators during the crisis.
“We know that the county of Nairobi lost a lot of money, and we agreed with him that we have to work together to make sure that everything is going to work. So, we want to thank the government; we want to thank the President. They have sorted out a lot of our issues which have been pending for long,” he said.