A sweeping nationwide transport strike erupted into violent protests across major Kenyan towns on Monday, leaving at least two people dead and thousands of commuters stranded as citizens revolted against record-high fuel prices.

The fatalities occurred in Gachie (Kiambu County) and Nakuru Town during intense running battles between anti-riot police and demonstrators.

In Kiambu, eyewitnesses claimed a protestor was shot dead, while in Nakuru, a victim was fatally struck by a speeding vehicle amid the chaos.

Additional reports of a shooting outside a Nakuru supermarket emerged, though police have yet to officially confirm the incident.

Authorities warn that the death toll could rise as skirmishes continue.

The crisis stems from a coordinated shutdown orchestrated by the Transport Sector Alliance (TSA), a coalition uniting matatu owners, long-distance truckers, boda boda riders, and digital taxi operators.

The strike was triggered by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority’s (EPRA) latest pricing cycle, which hiked petroleum prices by over 20 percent.

Most notably, diesel surged by an unprecedented KSh 46.29 to cross an all-time record threshold of KSh 242.92 per litre, outstripping super petrol, which rose to KSh 214.25.

“This action is not only for transport operators, but for every Kenyan citizen,” the TSA stated, accusing the government of failing to use the Petroleum Development Levy to cushion citizens against an escalating cost-of-living crisis.

The resulting paralysis transformed Kenya’s major urban centers.

Key arteries into Nairobi became pedestrian corridors as stranded commuters walked miles to work.

Businesses remained shut, major public transport operators grounded their fleets, and schools nationwide suspended learning to safeguard students.

Taking advantage of the vacuum, criminal elements engaged in looting and vandalism in Ruiru and Naivasha, prompting the deployment of heavily armed anti-riot police who used tear gas to clear barricaded roads and disperse stone-throwing youth.

The domestic price shock reflects severe geopolitical volatility in the Middle East.

Kenya relies entirely on fuel imports from the Gulf under state-backed, credit-based arrangements.

The supply route was severely upended by the outbreak of the US-Israel conflict with Iran on February 28.

Despite a recently declared ceasefire, local pump prices remain highly inflated due to the ongoing maritime blockade of the critical Strait of Hormuz, a global chokepoint through which twenty percent of the world’s petroleum passes.