UDA offices in Wote torched as fuel strike deepens, govt, matatu owners set for crisis meeting
Protests linked to the nationwide anti–fuel price hike demonstrations continue to escalate in several parts of the country with a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party office in Wote town, Makueni County, set ablaze as tensions over rising fuel costs continued to disrupt normal activities.
The office was torched by groups of protesting youth who chanted anti-government slogans, accusing the Kenya Kwanza administration of worsening economic hardship.
Documents belonging to the President William Ruto’s ruling party who is currently in Azerbaijan were also destroyed in the incident.
Before targeting the party office, the protesters had barricaded roads within Wote township and hurled stones at motorists, forcing many to avoid the area.
Business activity in the town was paralysed, with traders shutting down and no public service vehicles operating in the area for most of the day.
Similar disruptions were reported along major transport corridors across the country.
In Emali along the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway, protesters blocked the road, forcing motorists to turn back as police increased patrols.
Movement along the highway between Emali and Makindu remained minimal, with very few private vehicles on the road.
In Kangundo, Machakos County, demonstrators barricaded sections of the road at Tala, leaving passengers stranded for hours as demonstrations continued.
In Kitengela, Kajiado County, protests took a different turn after demonstrators looted Quiver Lounge and Grill, while reports indicated heightened police presence in the town, including vehicles believed to belong to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Elsewhere, along Thika Road and surrounding areas, earlier demonstrations saw burning tyres and road blockades that disrupted traffic flow and triggered running battles with police.
The protests, which spread across multiple counties, were triggered by anger over recent fuel price increases, with motorists, boda boda operators, matatu drivers and logistics players joining the nationwide transport shutdown.
The Matatu Owners Association (MOA) said the strike had been widely observed across the country, resulting in what it described as a near-total paralysis of public transport.
MOA President Albert Karakacha said a definitive directive on the next phase of the industrial action would be issued at 5pm on Monday.
“A definitive directive will be issued at 5pm today. This communication will outline the next phase of our action and provide clarity on the expected timeline,” he said.
At the same time, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the government would hold a high-level meeting with representatives from the matatu sector and key ministries, including Transport and Energy, in a bid to address the crisis.
“This afternoon at 4pm we have a meeting of the National Treasury, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Energy and matatu operators,” Mbadi said, adding that the talks would seek to “understand where we are and explore any possibility of further action.”
The strike, which began at midnight, has brought public transport services to a standstill in many parts of the country, with operators protesting the rising cost of fuel and its impact on livelihoods and the broader cost of living.
