Wiper Patriotic Front leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka has blamed the government for the ongoing nationwide transport paralysis, saying the crisis is a direct result of recent fuel price increases announced by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).

In a statement on Monday, May 18, 2026 Kalonzo said hundreds of thousands of Kenyans have been left stranded as transport operators across the country downed their tools in protest over rising operational costs.

“Today, hundreds of thousands of our fellow Kenyans workers, students, traders, and mothers are stranded across the length and breadth of this nation. This is not a natural disaster. This is the calculated and foreseeable consequence of a William Samoei Ruto regime that has, time and again, chosen his interests over the welfare of our people,” he said.

He argued that the sharp increase in fuel prices, including a Sh46.29 rise in diesel and a Sh16.65 increase in petrol, was implemented without consultation and has worsened the cost-of-living crisis.

“This announcement was made without consultation, without compassion, and without any consideration for its devastating impact on Kenyan families already crushed under the weight of this government’s spiralling cost of living,” he stressed.

On the transport shutdown, Kalonzo said operators were justified in their action, describing the strike as a response to unsustainable government policy.

“The Transport Sector Alliance did not act without cause and their strike is a legitimate response to illegitimate policy. When a regime’s decisions make it economically impossible for transport operators to serve the public, the paralysis that follows must be laid squarely at the feet of those who govern,” he said.

Kalonzo further warned that the disruption was already affecting businesses and supply chains across the country, adding that economic activity was slowing in major towns and cities.

“The economic consequences are already severe and we see it. Business leaders across sectors have sounded the alarm: supply chains are disrupted, food prices are rising, and commerce from Mombasa to Kisumu, from Eldoret to Naivasha, from Taveta to Garissa, from Isiolo to Sugoi is grinding to a halt,” he stated.

He called for urgent action from the government, including an immediate reversal of the fuel price hike, the resignation of Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi, engagement with transport stakeholders, and a transparent framework to stabilise fuel prices.

“I therefore issue the following urgent call upon the Ruto regime: First, the Cabinet Secretary for Energy must immediately reverse the fuel price hike and resign.

“Second, the President must open genuine and immediate dialogue with the Transport Sector Alliance.

“Third, the government must present a credible and transparent framework for stabilising fuel prices,” he said.