Matatu owners rule out strike as commuters give EPRA 14 days to cut fuel prices

Matatu owners say they will not strike over this month's fuel price rise. Matatu Owners Association president Albert Karakacha said on Sunday that operators would keep working and adjust to the new prices, which put diesel at Sh227.76 a litre in Nairobi until 14 November.

Karakacha said passengers would bear the cost. He accused the government of not keeping promises made at a meeting in Mombasa in May, including keeping diesel prices stable and helping operators bring in more than 100,000 electric public service vehicles.

Separately, the Counties Commuters Welfare Association (COCOWA) gave the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) 14 days to reverse the increases or face legal action. The group says the review was done without consulting commuters or transport stakeholders.

COCOWA wants EPRA to explain what is driving prices, to meet commuter representatives and to propose ways to cushion passengers. It also reported that while the matatu owners recommended a 10% fare rise, some operators had raised fares by 40 to 50% on certain routes.

EPRA's director general Edward Mwirigi Kinyua has said the government chose not to use fuel stabilisation funds this month, keeping them for future shocks. No response from EPRA to the ultimatum had been reported at the time of writing.