Business in major urban centres within the expansive Makueni County, including Wote, Makindu, Kibwezi, Mtito Andei and Emali came to a standstill due to a countrywide strike called by the Matatu Operators and Matatu Owners Association to protest the recent sharp increase of fuel prices in the country.
A spot check by Kenya News Agency in the Wote town established that there was no vehicle at the main bus park, all business premises including mitumba traders closed their joints as they feared protesters would loot their goods.
At the same time, one of the main streets adjacent to the local Catholic Church which is next to the bus park, some demonstrators barricaded the road with stones and lit bonfires using worn out tyres, however, but banks were operating normally.
The protests also affected traffic from Wote Town to major towns like Makindu, Machakos, Emali, Mtito Andei and Nairobi City besides impacting negatively on the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway.
The strike has also sacked the boda boda riders who have downed their tools saying they need the prices to be reduced as it is impossible for them to fuel their motor bikes.
As the day proceeded, the irate boda boda riders turned violent and went and burned the United Democratic Alliance offices at Shimo Estate.
However, the police responded swiftly and shot teargas and boda boda riders were forced to flee from the area. It would not be confirmed the amount of money of property destroyed at the offices.
A trader Magdalene Ngina, who deals with diapers, lamented that prices to ferry their goods from Nairobi have increased while adding that they are now unable to transport the goods as often as they used to.
“Matatu fares have gone up from 300 to 900, I don’t have that kind of money to spend on bringing goods from Nairobi. Now my shop is out of stock, so I cannot meet the needs of my customers,” said Ngina while speaking to KNA in Wote town on Monday.
“I appeal to our President William Samoei Ruto to reduce the fuel prices to enable us to bring more goods. I am a single mother and I use my business to educate my children,” she added.
by Patrick Nyakundi and Ruth Mutanu
