Four Killed, 30 Injured in Kenyan Fuel Price Protests

At least four people have been killed and 30 others injured in Kenya during nationwide protests against sharp increases in fuel prices, authorities said Monday.

Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen reported at least 348 arrests as demonstrators gathered in support of a nationwide public transport strike.

The government is likely to remain cautious, as protests over the past two years have escalated despite crackdowns that killed dozens, raising concerns about control.

“We lost four Kenyans in today’s ⁠violence, which also ⁠saw more than 30 ⁠people injured,” Murkomen said during a televised press conference.

Streets leading to Nairobi’s center were deserted Monday after police fired tear gas at protesters who threw stones and blocked major roads with burning tires, Al Jazeera’s Malcom Webb reported.

Strikes affected major cities including the capital and Mombasa, where many rely on bus services, forcing commuters to walk long distances to work and school.

Transport unions demand the government reverse a recent fuel price increase. Kenya raised retail fuel prices by as much as 23.5 percent last week, following a 24.2 percent rise last month.

Higher fuel costs are pushing up prices of food and other basic goods, straining resources for many already struggling in Kenya’s economy.

“This demonstration has brought the city to a near standstill,” Webb said. “It started with the private bus operators, which provide most transport for hundreds of thousands of people commuting every day.”

The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum defended the fuel hike, citing sustained volatility in global oil markets due to the war in Iran.

Kenya, one of many African countries dependent on fuel imports from the Gulf, has been heavily affected by Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil shipments normally pass.

Murkomen asserted that most of the East African country remained peaceful but alleged that “criminal elements” had been mobilized to target government and personal property, claiming the protests had “been hijacked by political actors for political ends.”

However, opposition figure Rigathi Gachagua accused President William Ruto and his business associates of taking advantage of Kenyans and influencing prices to increase profit margins.

“That message resonated with people frustrated, people who live hand to mouth, who have had to put up with a 25 percent increase last month and the same again announced last week. This is crippling for people trying to get by and for those in the transport business,” Webb said.

Criticism over the deaths was swift. Kenyan rights group Vocal Africa said on social media it “strongly condemns the use of lethal force by law enforcement that has tragically claimed the lives of four citizens during fuel protests.”

Protests in Kenya have turned increasingly violent in recent years. Last year, several people were killed as police and vigilantes confronted young demonstrators protesting issues including police brutality, government corruption, and high taxes.

In June 2024, police opened fire on large numbers of people protesting against tax rises, killing at least 60, according to rights groups.