Matatus to strike over fuel costs
In what is turning out to be a year of unprecedented strikes, matatus and and long distance truck drivers have issued a two-week strike notice over high fuel prices.
Matatus and long distance truck drivers want the government to bring down the cost of fuel by 30 per cent, arguing that the rate of inflation and an “unfavourable” Energy Regulatory Commission have made their business difficult.
They want the government to talk with them to avert the strike.
At a meeting yesterday, Matatu Welfare Association chairman Dickson Mbugua, and Cotu secretary-general Francis Atwoli, singled energy commission as responsible for the escalating cost of living and demanded its disbandment.
“Cotu and the matatu association now demand a 30 per cent reduction on all petroleum products that will translate into reduction on cost of basic commodities,” read a joint statement by the two.
In a live broadcast, Mr Atwoli dismissed claims that external factors were driving up the cost of fuel.
“Why should energy commission be in place while the prices of fuel products had increased a record 14 times since January leading to inflation in the economy?” he asked.
On Tuesday, the commission said the prices will fall next week but it did not say by how much.
Mr Atwoli gave the government two weeks to bring down the prices of fuel failure to which the Matatu Owners Association and Long Distant Truck Drivers Association will withdraw their vehicles from the road.
He said Kenya had a lesson to learn from Tanzania that has kept the prices at Sh63 a litre, despite the same external factors faced by Kenya.
The Cotu secretary-general opined that the current high cost of living was the result of failure in policy formulation and the lack of transparency in public funds management.
He warned that if the government does not address the cost of living the country could slide into civil strife.
Mr Atwoli said he had sought audience with President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga over inflation earlier in the year but they had not taken him seriously.
Should the matatu owners make good their threat, public transport will be severely affected during the Christmas and the New Year festivities.
