Kenya transport strike suspended for one week

Public transport operators in Kenya suspended a nationwide strike for one week on Tuesday to allow consultations with the government, ending two days of protests that left four people dead and more than 30 injured.

Talks collapsed on Monday after transport operators demanded fuel price reductions to cushion themselves and commuters from higher transportation costs.

Commuters were stranded for a second day on Tuesday as operators kept vehicles off the roads. Protesters set tyres on fire along major highways and clashed with police.

Kenya’s fuel prices reached a record high on Friday, with diesel increasing by 23.5% and petrol by 8%. The government attributed the increase to the Iran war and its effects on energy supplies.

Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said negotiations with fuel stakeholders would take place within seven days. A transport association representative, Kennedy Kaunda, said members would allow consultations to continue. If no agreement is reached, guidance will be issued to the public in one week.

Police arrested 348 people for taking part in the protests.

SOURCE: AP