Saccos Withdraw Matatus Over Fuel Shortage, Causing A Crisis
As the country's gasoline crisis worsens, some matatu operators are pulling their vehicles off the road to reduce losses.
Margaret Mwanzia 
Matatu Owners Association Chairman Simon Kimutai said that the scarcity of fuel was to blame for the growing cost of conducting business.
"The grounding of cars is due to a lack of fuel, and the increase in fares is due to demand outstripping supply, market forces."
"This is only temporary; normalcy will return as soon as the fuel supply stabilizes and prices are not raised," Kimutai said.
Some of the operators claimed to have waited in line for hours in order to obtain the valuable commodity, despite the fact that most filling stations do not offer gasoline or diesel.
"Our vehicles have been grounded; some are trapped in Eldoret, while others are in Nairobi; they were borrowed; please, Government, give us the truth."
The operator responded, "The oil traders have also lowered the quantity."
The businesswoman who talked to the media also said that she has lost upwards of Ksh500, 000 since the fuel shortage began, with Western Kenya being the hardest hit.
As the burden of doing business is passed on to commuters, several matatus in Nairobi have resorted to raising fares.
In an interview with Citizen TV, one expert in the industry predicted that the crisis would last three weeks if oil supplies returned to normal.
The situation is so bad that police were forced to disperse Boda Boda riders searching for gasoline at a Petrol station in Rongo, Migori County. A fuel cap of up to Ksh1, 000 per filling has been introduced at some stations.
