Fuel prices: Matatu owners' chair distances lobby from protest call
Matatu Owners Association national chairman Simon Kimutai.
The threatened demo by matatus and motorists against increased fuel prices set for Thika Road may be in limbo.
This is after Simon Kimutai, the chairperson of the Matatu Owners Association, said the protest call did not follow due procedure required of matatu operators.
He told the Nation that he doesn’t know who drafted the strike notice, and that there is a possibility it was written by someone outside the transport sector.
“I do not have an idea of who called for the strike. We have done our investigations but we have not found out the culprit. I got a copy of the notice, but should it have been genuine, I would have been notified prior as a major stakeholder,” said Mr Kimutai.
He, however, acknowledged that the frustration behind the protest call was warranted since members of the public will come under immense economic pressure owing to the fuel price hike.
“Kenyans are frustrated because when the price of fuel goes up, the price of food also goes up. Let’s take an upcountry farmer as an example. He will need fuel to plough his land, harvest his crops and transport them to the market. From there, the retailer will also need fuel to get the products to the consumer, and that is how food products become more expensive,” he lamented.
“This whole thing exacerbates the situation because people are now dealing with a pandemic. Some are out of jobs and business is low. Some people are even struggling to put food on the table. How are they going to manage,” he wondered.
He also pointed out that with so many taxes going into purchase of fuel, the increase in prices is unfair and should be revoked.
"We will issue a statement on bus fare after assessment. We facilitate economic growth, but the government is killing public transport business. It is no longer attractive, we are just making losses," he said.
The hike was announced on Tuesday by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), with many Kenyans criticising the move as a show of government's lack of compassion amid tough economic times.
Additionally, things are set to get worse as the Kenya Revenue Authority recently announced plans to increase excise duty rates for fuel by 4.97 per cent.
