At least four people have reportedly died and more than 30 others were injured after nationwide protests over rising fuel prices brought parts of Kenya to a standstill on Monday, 18 May 2026. Transport operators launched a nationwide strike over soaring fuel costs, leaving commuters stranded in cities including Nairobi and Mombasa. Protesters blocked roads with burning tyres while anti-riot police fired tear gas to disperse crowds.
Kenya's Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed the deaths and injuries during a televised briefing, adding that at least 348 people had been arrested during the unrest.

Steep fuel price hikes sparked protests


The demonstrations followed steep increases in retail fuel prices announced the previous week. Kenya raised fuel prices by as much as 23.5 percent after a 24.2 percent increase the month before. The latest hikes pushed the price of petrol in Nairobi to 214.25 Kenyan shillings (approximately US$1.66) per litre, while diesel rose to 242.92 Kenyan shillings (approximately US$1.88).

Streets empty as strike cripples transport

Roads into Nairobi's central business district were left nearly deserted as public transport operators parked vehicles in protest. Commuters were forced to walk long distances to work and school after buses and minibuses stopped operating. Transport association chairman Albert Karakacha said the strike would continue despite talks with government officials, noting that negotiations late on Monday failed to produce a breakthrough.Residents described the rising costs as increasingly unbearable, with one Nairobi worker noting that transport costs had doubled and food prices had also climbed sharply in recent weeks.

Government blames global oil crisis


Kenya's Ministry of Energy and Petroleum defended the increases, citing global oil market instability linked to the conflict involving Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. As a country that imports most of its fuel from Gulf nations, Kenya is particularly exposed to such supply shocks.Murkomen claimed that while most parts of the country remained calm, some protests had allegedly been infiltrated by criminal groups targeting government and personal property. Opposition politician Rigathi Gachagua, however, accused President William Ruto's administration of benefiting from the fuel hikes.

Rights groups condemn deaths.

Kenyan rights organisation Vocal Africa condemned what it described as the use of lethal force against demonstrators. The latest unrest has revived memories of anti-government protests in June 2024, when rights groups reported that at least 60 people were killed after police opened fire on demonstrators protesting against tax increases.