Kenyan public transport operators have called off a planned strike after President William Ruto announced a further cut in diesel prices.
Ruto said on Friday that diesel would be reduced by 10 Kenyan shillings, about $0.08, per litre for the June-July pricing cycle. The announcement came during a televised address, where transport industry leaders stood alongside him.
The move ends a two-day strike held earlier this week that disrupted activity in Nairobi and other cities. The walkout, staged in protest against rising fuel costs linked to the Iran conflict, led to clashes between protesters and police that left four people dead and about 30 injured.
The government had raised diesel prices by 23.5% to 242.92 shillings per litre for May-June, before cutting them by 10 shillings on Monday in response to the initial strike. Ruto said the additional reduction for June-July was meant to give consumers more relief.
He added that the government had spent at least 28.1 billion shillings to lower fuel prices between April and June. The cuts add pressure to Kenya’s public finances, where debt service reached 71.2% of ordinary revenue in the 2024/25 fiscal year.
Ruto, who faces re-election in August 2027, has dealt with several rounds of protests over living costs. In 2024, nationwide demonstrations forced him to withdraw proposed tax hikes worth $2.7 billion.
The president said government-to-government fuel deals with Middle Eastern countries had helped shield Kenya from sharper increases in global crude prices.
