The Motorists Association of Kenya has hit back after a section of transport industry leaders secretly negotiated with government officials to call off a nationwide transport strike — leaving the broader coalition completely in the dark and sparking fresh divisions within a movement that had united thousands of Kenyans against rising fuel prices.
In a strongly worded statement released on Wednesday, May 20, MAK condemned what it described as a deliberate act of betrayal by a few industry players who held covert meetings with senior government officials without the knowledge or consent of their alliance partners.
“MAK, together with all transport stakeholders who were sidelined in the recent negotiations, strongly condemn the dishonest and underhanded actions of a few industry players who secretly called off the transport sector strike without the knowledge or consent of their partners,” the statement read.
The strike, which began on Monday, May 18, had brought together an unusually broad coalition — truck owners, trailer operators, taxi and cab associations, bus companies, boda boda riders, cargo transporters, and private motorists — all united by a cumulative fuel price increase of up to Ksh76 per litre that has pushed transport fares and food prices higher across the country.
According to MAK, the individuals who broke ranks held private meetings on May 19 with Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, Roads and Transport CS Davis Chirchir, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja — in direct violation of the alliance’s agreed rules of engagement, which required government representatives to negotiate before the full alliance rather than select subsectors.
What the secret negotiators secured was a Ksh10 reduction on diesel prices alone. MAK and other sidelined stakeholders were unimpressed. The association described the outcome bluntly: “A surrender, not a victory.”
Interior CS Murkomen confirmed that a one-week dialogue window had been opened. “There was need for negotiations with the stakeholders at a high level and they will take place within the next one week between now and May 26,” he said.
Federation of Public Transport Sector CEO Kushian Muchiri welcomed the development but acknowledged the misstep. “Had we been taken seriously on Friday, we would not be here,” Muchiri said, urging members to resume operations while negotiations continue.
MAK, however, is not ready to move on. The association pointed out that no binding agreement was signed during the closed-door talks, and warned that this cycle — where leaders mobilise the public only to cut private deals — has repeated itself in 2018 and 2024. “The government knows exactly which actors repeatedly mobilise the public, only to abandon them once personal interests are met,” the statement said.
For thousands of Kenyans who walked long distances to work and school during days of transport paralysis, the question now is whether the next round of negotiations will deliver real relief — or another quiet surrender.
