Matatu Bosses Announce Hike in Fares Following Rise in Fuel Prices

Kenyans will not only pay more for fuel, they will also have to dig deeper into their pockets after Matatu bosses announced new fares.

Kenya Matatu Owners Association on Friday said fares will go up by Sh30 and Sh50 during peak and off-peak hours for areas around Nairobi and its metropolis.

Brendan Marshall, traffic coordinator and senior MOA member told Kenyans to brace themselves for tough times.

“For instance, a matatu that initially charged Sh100 during peak hours will now charge between Sh120 or Sh150. We will also extend the peak hours which previously lasted from 6:00 am to 8:00 am, and will run up to 10:00 am,” he is quoted by Kenyans.co.ke.

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He added: “In the evening, the peak hours will begin an hour earlier and start at 4:00 pm and last till 7:00 pm. During this time, the fare will cost around Sh150. After 7:00 pm, the fare will remain a constant Sh100.”

Marshall explained that the new fares take effect with immediate effect.

“From today (Friday), since the fuel prices came into effect at midnight, we did a spot-check and found that some petrol stations were hoarding fuel at around 9:00 pm yesterday so that they adjust new prices so we cannot give a grace period,” he said.

He noted that the hike in fares is only meant to cushion their businesses from the adverse effects of the new fuel prices which hit the Sh200 mark for the first time in Kenya’s history.

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“At the end of the month, we have to pay insurance premiums, city council averaging Sh7,000, traffic officers also expect their cut, so this is a dire situation that needs to be addressed.”

In the review, the price of petrol jumped by Sh17 per litre while that of diesel increased by about Sh21.32 per litre.

Kerosene prices shot up by Sh33.13.