Jubilee leaders pile pressure on Ruto over fuel strike chaos

Jubilee Deputy party leaders  Fred Matiangi (left) and Jeremiah Kioni (right) at the party's headquarters  in Nairobi on January 22, 2026. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Jubilee Party leaders have turned the two-day fuel strike into a political battering ram against the Kenya Kwanza government, accusing President William Ruto's administration of poor leadership.

Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi on Wednesday, Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang'i said the country was on a dangerous path.

"We are walking down to a crisis," said Matiang'i.

Matiang'i contrasted his record with the current government's handling of the fuel crisis, saying his administration engaged stakeholders during difficult periods rather than resorting to intimidation.

"We were responsible leaders, we spoke to wananchi and we respected them. Whenever we had such challenges, we engaged other private sector organisations, the Kenya Private Alliance, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers and the like," noted Matiang'i.

He accused the current government of shielding incompetent leaders behind political excuses, and called on Kenya Kwanza to stop invoking Kenyatta's name as a catch-all explanation for the country's problems.

"Every time Kenyans ask questions about how the country is doing, you say Uhuru Kenyatta. Now he is the chorus to explain everything, including your incapacity to deal with things," he added.

Jubilee Party Deputy Leader Kioni echoed the charge, saying the government was using tribalism, ethnic profiling and the Kenyatta narrative to dodge questions from Kenyans.

"What we have seen in the last two days is Kenyans organised and saying, 'Enough is enough.' There was no single political statement uttered by political leaders. But instead of the people in power addressing Kenyan challenges, it's Uhuru, Uhuru, Uhuru," noted Kioni.

Jubilee Party Nairobi youth league leader Kura Ndung'u added to the pile-on.

"What is your obsession with Uhuru Kenyatta? Every time an issue arises in this country, you come up with excuses," said Ndung'u.

The fuel strike, which began on May 18, was triggered by rising pump prices driven by global supply disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

Matatu and other transport operators downed tools, paralysing public transport in several towns across the country.

The government has since moved to negotiate with operators and halved the value added tax on fuel to eight per cent.