NAIROBI, Kenya, May 18 — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has questioned why the public transport sector did not stage protests during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration despite rising fuel prices at the time, but has now resorted to strikes and demonstrations under President William Ruto.
Speaking Monday evening while addressing the nation on chaos witnessed during PSV protests over soaring fuel prices, Murkomen suggested there was a “certain level of profiling” against President Ruto.
The Interior CS noted that matatu operators continued operating during Kenyatta’s tenure despite similar economic pressures without suspending transport services.
“The question you should be asking yourself is why they felt it was okay to understand President Uhuru Kenyatta, but when it is President William Ruto, they should go to the streets,” he said.
“Why did they not stop their vehicles less than four years ago? And why is it that in the administration of President William Ruto they have stopped their vehicles from coming to the streets? There must be something.”
Murkomen argued that different standards appeared to be applied to the current administration.
“There must be a certain level of profiling that applies to William Ruto that did not apply to President Uhuru Kenyatta. Your guess is as good as mine,” he stated.
The CS also praised President Ruto’s conduct while serving in the opposition during the previous administration, saying leaders allied to the current government challenged high fuel prices through constitutional means rather than organising street protests.
“If you give us credit for those who opposed the administration at that time, then you must also give us credit for using constitutional means and giving alternative suggestions on how to handle the fuel crisis,” he said.
“We never organized one protest. No life was lost. No supermarket was looted. No person was targeted to be killed because of higher fuel prices.”
Murkomen said he remained proud of the position Ruto took during the previous administration and urged the current opposition to emulate what he described as peaceful and constitutional politics.
“I wish the current opposition would emulate him instead of organizing violence and so forth,” he said.
The Interior CS also appealed directly to the transport sector to cooperate with the current administration.
“Please, the transport sector, the way you understood President Uhuru Kenyatta and never went on strike less than five years ago, that is the same way you should understand President William Ruto because he is in office,” he said.
His remarks came amid widespread disruption in several parts of the country after sections of the PSV sector suspended operations to protest escalating fuel costs.
Murkomen condemned what he termed as violence, looting and destruction of property during the demonstrations, saying criminal elements had infiltrated the protests for political purposes.
He cited incidents including the looting of Khetia supermarkets, the burning of a UDA office in Wote, Makueni County, and the torching of two trucks at the Rironi-Mau Summit road project site.
“Looting, violence, blocking roads and vandalizing public and private property can in no way bring down oil prices,” he said.
Murkomen added that the government, through the National Treasury and the Ministries of Energy and Transport, was engaging stakeholders in efforts to address concerns over rising fuel prices.
