Transport operations across the country were paralysed on Monday after Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators launched a nationwide strike over rising fuel prices, leaving thousands of commuters stranded.
A spot check by The Standard in several counties established that most PSV operators had honoured the strike call, keeping vehicles off the roads in solidarity with the industrial action.
Major cities, including Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru, which are usually characterised by heavy weekday traffic, remained unusually clear as the strike took effect.
Commuters in many towns were forced to walk long distances to work and school, while others remained stranded at bus stops amid uncertainty over when normal transport services would resume.
In Kitengela, roads had been blocked as early as 7:35 am, with tyres set ablaze in the middle of the road. No police presence had been reported by the time of going to press.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Transport Sector Alliance announced that all vehicles affiliated with its associations would suspend operations until the government addresses concerns over soaring fuel costs.
The disruption also affected the education sector, with several private schools notifying parents of the postponement of Monday classes due to transport challenges caused by the strike.
The current crisis was triggered by the latest monthly pricing cycle announced by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, which pushed fuel costs to historic highs.
In Nairobi, the price of super petrol rose by Sh16.65 to retail at Sh214.25 per litre, while diesel surged by Sh46.29 to a record Sh242.92 per litre.
Energy officials attributed the sharp increase to volatile global oil markets and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which pushed Brent crude above $100 a barrel and increased the landed cost of imports.
Although the government deployed about Sh5 billion from the Petroleum Development Levy to subsidise diesel, transport operators maintain that the current prices are unsustainable for their businesses.