Murkomen: Four dead, over 30 injured in nationwide fuel protests
By Cynthia Lodite, May 18, 2026Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that four people have died during the nationwide strike to protest against recent increases in the cost of fuel.
In a State of the Nation address on Monday, May 18, 2026, Murkomen further announced that more than thirty people have been injured in the protest that left thousands of Kenyan commuters stranded and businesses paralysed.
At the same time, Murkomen accused a sect of Politicians of playing a part in the organisation of the protest, which led to some businesses in Nairobi remaining shut and schools asking students to stay at home.
“It is unfortunate that we lost 4 Kenyans in today’s violence, which also saw more than 30 people injured. It is very regrettable that there are politicians in this country who measure the success of opposition to the government by the number of innocent lives lost in the demonstrations they organized,” Murkomen said.
Murkomen went on to warn leaders against turning political differences into dangerous division, maintaining that they will be held accountable for the lives lost as a result of their divisive statements.
“This is the lowest form of politics and the wicked manifestations of self-interest. To the leaders who have been profiling Kenyans of different political opinions and calling them traitors, we shall hold you personally responsible for the lives lost and property destroyed as a result of your statements,” he added.
Fuel Strike crisis
Worth noting, the strike comes days after the government raised petroleum prices to record levels, with costs increasing by more than 20%.
Meanwhile, Kenya, like many other African countries, relies heavily on fuel imports from the Gulf, a supply route disrupted by the US-Israel conflict with Iran that began on 28 February.
And while Kenya majorly relies on the Gulf supply route, the Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has come out defending the government’s move in the recent rise in fuel prices, while requesting calm among members of the public.
“The public is requested to exercise calm and patience as the Government contemplates additional measures to ensure that fuel prices do not rise to levels that will cause serious damage to the economy, in as much as possible, and cognizant that the present situation is caused by factors beyond the control of the Republic of Kenya,” Kindiki said.
Even though a ceasefire has been declared, fuel prices have remained high as the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil passes through, is still blocked.
Many passengers were stranded at bus stops in the capital in the morning, while others arriving from elsewhere to Nairobi could not get into the city.