At least four killed and 30 injured as nationwide strikes over record fuel hikes grip the country.
6:47 PM
At least four people were killed and more than 30 injured during protests that erupted across Kenya on Monday, as a nationwide public transport strike fueled anger over sharp increases in fuel prices.
Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed the casualties in a televised briefing. "We lost four Kenyans in today's violence, which also saw more than 30 people injured," he said. Police made 348 arrests related to the protests.
The strike paralyzed transport across the country. Thousands of commuters were left stranded, with key roads in the capital Nairobi largely empty. Some businesses remained shut and schools asked students to stay at home. Protesters blocked roads and erected burning barricades in various locations.
The unrest was triggered by record increases in fuel costs. Kenya's Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority raised retail fuel prices by 23.5% last week, following a 24.2% hike the previous month. The cumulative effect brought petroleum prices to record levels.
The price increases are linked to disruptions in global oil supply. Kenya, like many African countries, relies heavily on fuel imports from the Gulf. That supply route has been disrupted by the US-Israel conflict with Iran, which began on February 28. Iran has largely shuttered the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil passed in peacetime.
Police responded to the demonstrations with tear gas to disperse protesters as tensions escalated. The situation remained tense across multiple locations as the strike continued.
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