Political actors have hijacked demonstrations and targeted government projects and supporters, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen has said

At least four people were killed and more than 30 injured when protests over soaring fuel prices in Kenya turned violent on Monday, according to the East African country's Interior Ministry.

The unrest coincided with a public transit strike called by transport operators after the country's energy regulator announced significant fuel price increases last week, leaving commuters stranded and major roads blocked.

Protesters burned tires and lit bonfires on key highways in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, and other urban centers, while also preventing motorbike taxis from operating, according to footage shared on social media.

Kenyan Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said the protests were "hijacked by political actors," involved looting and violence, and targeted government projects and supporters. He warned that "the full force of the law will be brought to bear" on the organizers of the violence.

"It is very regrettable that there are politicians in this country who measure the success of opposition to the government by the number of innocent lives lost in the demonstrations they organize," the minister said in a statement.

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Kenya's Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) raised the maximum pump price of diesel by 23.5% and petrol by 8% last week in its latest review. The move comes amid a broader energy shock driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted supplies through the strategic Strait of Hormuz - a chokepoint for about one fifth of the world's oil shipments. Global crude benchmarks have risen above $100 per barrel as supply flows remain constrained.

Late on Monday, Kenya's Energy Ministry and Transport Ministry officials held talks with representatives of major transport associations, including the Association of Matatu Transport Owners and the Federation of Public Transport Sector.

The associations said no substantive agreement was reached on diesel pricing, with their demands including a reduction of fuel costs by 46 KES ($0.35) per liter and measures to prevent diesel adulteration.

Violent protests over economic grievances are nothing new in Kenya. Demonstrations against rising living costs and policy changes have at times escalated into clashes between security forces and protesters. In 2024, dozens of protesters were killed when rallies against a now-abandoned Finance Bill turned deadly.