Bribery and betrayal allegations mar crisis talks with PSV owners

President William Ruto accompanied by transport stakeholders at State House, Mombasa, addresses the nation over the ongoing fuel crisis on May 22, 2026. [Robert Menza, Standard]

Bribery claims, betrayal and greed marred the high-level talks chaired by President William Ruto to end the transport chaos caused by high cost of fuel.

It emerged that a broader plot to exclude some officials of matatu associations from meeting with Ruto in Mombasa was hatched on Monday night.

Some of the public service vehicles (PSV) owners revealed this plan was hatched after a meeting that was chaired by Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi and his Transport counterpart Davis Chirchir at Transcom House backfired.

More puzzling was when the CEO of Tour Guides and Drivers Association Kennedy Kaunda confronted the Cabinet secretaries after it emerged there was no deal to lower the cost of fuel.

Some PSV owners who attended the meeting claim after the much-awaited press briefing, Chirchir and Head of Creative Economy, Dennis Itumbi, were left with some officials.

“After the meeting, Chirchir and Itumbi remained behind with some of our colleagues but they did not reveal what they discussed,” an official claimed.

At the time, the operators were demanding that the diesel prices be reduced by Sh46 but Chichir and Wandayi were offering Sh8 claiming that it was supported by EPRA calculations.

To the shock of some officials, another meeting was called at Harambee House on Tuesday but only few officials were invited, with some arriving after it had been resolved that the strike be suspended for seven days to allow negotiations.

Sources within the sector now say the State used a divide-and-rule approach, where officials perceived as hardliners were not invited to meet Ruto on Friday.

“This is pure betrayal, those who attended the Mombasa meeting were traitors because we needed to have a written memorandum so as not to appear desperate or after money,” an official who refused to attend the Mombasa meeting revealed

By Wednesday, it is reported that some officials, perceived as soft targets, had been selected and briefed about the Mombasa meeting with Ruto who jetted back into the country on Thursday morning.

Immediately after suspending the strike for seven days to allow for negotiations, word was making rounds that some officials had pocketed handsome amounts to attend the meeting.

“Some of the officials had already asked for money but I refused and told them we were not after money but for the sake of the sector and Kenyans because as leaders we are being paid to defend the sector,” the official who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed

During the high-level meeting in Harambee House on Tuesday, some attendants said Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja was sweet-talking some officials known to him to support the government instead of listening to their issues.

It was during the meeting attended by, among others, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, that some officials had made their intention known that a small token would make them call off the strike, the source revealed.

Matatu Owners Association Chairman Albert Karakacha denied that they were bribed, adding that some of the issues they raised will help solve future problems.

On those who were left out of the Mombasa meeting, Karakacha insinuated that they were cartels, adding that some of them don’t own public service vehicles.

“Ask those who were left out to show you the logbooks of their vehicles. We want to eliminate cartels in this business because these are the people who are messing up the industry and we don’t want to work with them,” he said

“So far we have managed to push for diesel to be reduced by Sh20 and the government has also waived duty for the electric vehicles and matatus will be allowed to have graffiti,” Karakacha explained.

Earlier, a press briefing that had been organised for Thursday afternoon by the matatu operators was called off, thus confirming the split.

Another source said about four people who met Ruto in Mombasa posed as chairpersons of matatu saccos in Nairobi.

“It now in the public that those who have been claiming to be leaders in the matatu sector were there for their own interests,” he said

The source added that during the meeting chaired by Wandayi and Chirchir on Monday, some officials were beckoned to remain behind for unknown reasons.

“After the meeting Chirchir and Itumbi remained behind with some of our colleagues as we exited Transcom House, the following day, which was Tuesday, some of us were not invited to the meeting that led to the suspension of the strike.”

This had earlier been corroborated by Kaunda, who said when he arrived for the Harambee House meeting, about 30 officials had agreed to suspend the strike.

In an interview on Thursday, Kaunda revealed that he was not aware of the Harambee House meeting called by Ruto earlier . 

Kaunda said he only received a phone call informing him that the meeting was already underway, prompting him to rush to the venue “out of goodwill” to avoid being sidelined. “When I arrived there. I found other colleagues waiting outside. We were told the boardroom was full. We were kept waiting outside until I insisted that my members needed representation,” he said.

Upon finally being allowed in, Kaunda said the meeting was ending, and government officials had moved to the final resolutions.

“By the time I checked in, they were already making the final remarks. I joined them outside Harambee House and clarified that the strike had been suspended, not called off,” he said.