President Ruto has come out to deny claims that he pressured transport stakeholders to call off their strike last week.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The president stated during the National Prayer Breakfast at Safari Park that the decision was solely made by the stakeholders after crunch talks, where the transport sector was given some perspective by the government.

According to the Head of State, he explained the government's position on the rising fuel prices and the measures being taken to stabilise supply, and afterwards, the stakeholders resolved to call of their industrial action.

“When the meeting ended, they told me, ‘Mr President, we shall call off the strike.’ I did not tell them to call off the strike. Some people say I influenced them; maybe they were influenced by facts.” Says Ruto

📌 What You Need to Know

Last week, the National government unveiled the relief measures for the Public Service Vehicles (PSVs), including insurance issues, protecting operators from vehicle auctioneering and a Ksh10 drop in diesel prices.

During the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, President William Ruto reiterated that, unlike some other countries experiencing fuel shortages, Kenya has sufficient fuel supply across all petrol stations.

He also claimed that while the actual market price of diesel should be Ksh273 per litre, the commodity is currently retailing at Ksh232.

Earlier, the National Chairman of Matatu Owners Association (MOA), Albert Karakacha said the intervention, together with the engagement between the government and transport stakeholders, had persuaded operators to abandon plans for further industrial action.

Referring to the long fuel queues witnessed during the 2022 fuel crisis, President William Ruto said he explained to the union how the government was forced to spend Ksh160 billion on fuel subsidies over the course of a year to stabilise prices.

The latest development comes even as a section of matatu workers threatened to down their tools over alleged exclusion from crunch talks with the president.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke