Matatus parked along Jogoo road during the Matatu country-wide strike on fuel hike in Nairobi on May 18, 2026. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]
The roughly 36-hour-long fuel protests by Matatu operators at the start of this week has exposed the long-term costs of corruption and ineptitude in government. The public spectacle on Monday evening before two powerful cabinet secretaries is unimaginable in ordinary times.
Yet, an ordinary man unceremoniously dissolved a high-stakes press briefing with the now-famous ‘with all due respect’ statement. To the ordinary eye, it may pass as another comic event in our never-ending public comedy on the management of public affairs. However, from a critical point of view, that moment demonstrated how the levers of power are tilted in favour of ruthless cartels that control public transport in the country.
Premium Article
Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.
