President William Ruto said he did not pressure matatu operators to cancel a planned strike. He pointed out that the operators made their decision after discussions about the current fuel situation.
Speaking on Thursday during the National Prayer Breakfast at Safari Park in Nairobi, Ruto said he met transport leaders to talk about the fuel crisis and to clarify the government’s position and the challenges involved.
He said the discussions lasted about three hours and covered the current fuel supply, as well as lessons from the fuel shortages in 2022, when Kenyans faced long queues at petrol stations.
Ruto also said that early in his time in office, he met oil marketers to discuss the fuel subsidy policy and how it affects the wider economy. He told the meeting participants that they needed to learn from past economic problems and keep fuel supply stable.
He noted that fuel is available in all petrol stations and that the government subsidizes fuel prices, meaning diesel would cost more without the subsidy.
“Today, the government is subsidizing fuel. The actual price of diesel should be Sh273, but it is Sh232. When we finished, they told me, Mr President, we are going to call off the strike. I did not tell them to call off the strike; they looked at the facts. I know many people said they were influenced this way and that way; maybe they were, by the facts of what the situation is,” he said.
President Ruto said that after the discussions, transport sector leaders agreed to call off the planned strike after reviewing the information shared with them. He insisted that his office issued no directive behind the decision.
“I did not tell them (transport sector leaders) to call off the strike. They looked at the facts. Many people said they were influenced this way or that way. Maybe they were by the facts of what the situation is.”
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