Catherine Omanyo demands EPRA disbandment amid fuel hike debate
By Emmanuel Rono, May 20, 2026Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo has called for a complete overhaul of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) as the fuel hike debate continues to generate different reactions.
Speaking on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) acting secretary general argued that EPRA was sleeping on its job and needed to be replaced by a serious body.
“EPRA is sleeping on their job, and they need to be shaken. Not just shaken, to be replaced by a serious body or serious individuals,” Omanyo said during an interview on a local radio station.
She further questioned the government’s communication strategy, saying delays and lack of timely public engagement are fuelling confusion and anger among citizens.
Omanyo said there is a missing link in how state agencies communicate policies and decisions to the public.
“There’s some missing link. Like I said, apart from EPRA, any other body put there to advise, regulate, communicate on time, they should not wait until the last minute to start explaining,” Omanyo said.
Need for good communication
According to Omanyo, poor communication of key decisions, particularly economic ones such as fuel pricing, often leaves citizens unprepared.
“We wake up to these, fuel prices have already been hiked. You know, anything can happen, and you can’t control what an angry man decides to do. Sometimes, even these looters, they are looting because they’re hungry,” Omanyo said.
These remarks follow the announcement by EPRA, which gave out the revised fuel prices through a special addendum issued on the night of May 18, 2026, following mounting pressure from public transport operators and motorists over soaring fuel costs.
The reduction followed an intensive consultation meeting between the government and transport sector leaders after a day of matatus strike.
The demonstrations paralysed transport in Nairobi and several major towns, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and forcing many Kenyans to walk long distances to work and school.
Willis Otieno faults govt on communication
Safina deputy party leader Willis Otieno has accused the state of sending mixed signals when handling the current protest on fuel prices that he says undermine efforts to resolve the transport crisis.
In a statement on his X account on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Otieno pointed to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s announcement of a seven-day suspension of the matatu strike to allow room for negotiations with sector stakeholders, a move intended to de-escalate tensions and restore commuter services.
However, he contrasted this with parallel remarks attributed to a faction within the same political establishment led by former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar, which he says has threatened enforcement crackdowns against operators in the same sector that have been invited for dialogue.
“Kipchumba Murkomen holds a press conference announcing a seven-day suspension of the matatu strike to allow negotiations, while another faction within the same political establishment led by Hassan Omar is simultaneously threatening crackdowns against the very sector supposedly being invited for dialogue,” Otieno said.