The Motorists Association of Kenya has accused PSV and TSV sector leaders of betraying the Transport Sector Alliance after agreeing to suspend the nationwide fuel strike following talks with the government.

📻 Breaking It Down

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 21 — The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK), a member of the Transport Sector Alliance that organized the nationwide fuel protests suspended on Tuesday, has accused leaders from the PSV and TSV subsectors of betraying the movement after agreeing to suspend the strike following closed-door talks with government officials.

Reacting to the strike suspesion on Wednesday, the association said the decision to halt the industrial action for one week had been reached without consulting the full alliance, despite earlier agreements that no single subsector would negotiate independently with the government.

“For days, the Transport Sector Alliance worked tirelessly to build what was shaping up to be one of the most significant nationwide protests in recent history,” the association said.

📌 What You Need to Know

The group argued that the alliance had brought together truck owners, taxi operators, tour drivers, digital boda boda riders, private motorists, cargo transporters, PSV operators and ordinary wananchi under a shared pushback against soaring fuel prices and the rising cost of living.

However, the motorists’ lobby claimed that some leaders from the PSV and TSV sectors broke ranks by holding private meetings with Cabinet Secretaries and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja before announcing a temporary suspension of the strike.

“Unfortunately, as has happened before, a few familiar actors met privately with government officials without informing others,” the statement said.

“These meetings were conducted in direct violation of the agreed rules of engagement.”

The accusations emerged a day after transport stakeholders announced a one-week suspension of the nationwide strike to pave the way for fresh negotiations with the government over diesel prices.

Kennedy Kaunda, representing the Tourist Guide Association, announced Tuesday that operators had agreed to temporarily call off the strike after renewed consultations with senior government officials.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya