VIDEO: Bonfires lit along Thika Road, Kitengela as youth block highways over fuel prices

Protests erupted in several parts surrounding Nairobi, particularly in Kitengela, Kajiado County, as residents mounted blockades along major highways to support the ongoing nationwide public transport strike.

The barricades have heavily disrupted transit along key routes, specifically the Namanga corridor, which serves as a critical cross-border link between Kenya and Tanzania.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Standard Digital (@standardkenya)

The coordinated disruptions aim to pressure the government into addressing skyrocketing fuel prices.

The nationwide strike has completely paralysed matatu and bus operations, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and forcing them to walk long distances to reach their destinations.

Social media footage from Witeithie showed protesters lighting bonfires in the middle of the road as onlookers gathered, leaving the highway completely deserted. Similar protests and blockades were also reported in Ruiru and the surrounding areas.

In Kitengela, demonstrators blocked the main highway, marking another chapter for a town with a long history of intense public demonstrations, often serving as a flashpoint for transport and economic protests in Kajiado County.

The same was also witnessed in the usually packed Rongai town. 

With public transport grounded, immense crowds of commuters were forced to trek several kilometres along major Nairobi arteries, including Thika Road, Mombasa Road, Waiyaki Way, Jogoo Road, and Ngong Road.

While digital taxis and motorcycles continued to operate, operators sharply inflated their fares to capitalise on the crisis. The few public service vehicles that remained on the roads also doubled or tripled their usual rates.

The Transport Sector Alliance stated that the strike was necessary to protect all Kenyans from economic hardship.

"This action is not only for transport operators, but for every Kenyan citizen. The ordinary mwananchi is the ultimate victim of high fuel prices, paying more for transport, food, electricity and essential commodities," the alliance said in a joint statement.

Stranded commuters expressed bitter frustration over the situation. An elderly woman spoke of her gruelling morning commute, explaining that she had walked all the way from Kangemi to Westlands just to get to work.

"I am deeply saddened because I have walked all the way from Kangemi. There is not even a single vehicle. I am going to work to earn a living. What kind of life is this?" she said.

The strike also ignited heavy debate online, with many Kenyans expressing solidarity with the transport operators over the high cost of living.

"You are looking at an entire economy refusing to breathe under the weight of high taxes," wrote Nduru Karanja on X. "Commuters are stranded, matatus are parked, and the message to EPRA is clear: the pump has broken the camel’s back."