Skip to main content

Featured

High Court Quashes Aisha Jumwa's Appointment as Kenya Roads Board Chairperson — Declared Unconstitutional and Unlawful

  photo: Former KRB Boss, Aisha Jumwa./courtesy In what legal commentators are already describing as one of the most consequential rulings on public appointments in recent Kenyan judicial history, the High Court has struck down the appointment of former Gender Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa Katana as non-executive Chairperson of the Kenya Roads Board (KRB) — declaring it unconstitutional, unlawful, and void ab initio , meaning illegal from the very beginning. Delivering the ruling, Justice Bahati Mwamuye was unambiguous in his findings: the appointment process failed to comply with the mandatory statutory framework set out in law, and no amount of presidential goodwill, political loyalty, or gazette publication could retroactively cure that fundamental illegality. "The appointment of Hon. Aisha Jumwa Katana as a member of the Kenya Roads Board is unconstitutional and unlawful ab initio as it did not comply with Section 7 of the Kenya Roads Boards Act and Articles 10, 47 and 2...
Post a Comment
Read more
Labels

Kenya Fuel Price Hike May 2026: Diesel at Ksh 242, Protests Planned — What You Need to Know

 

EPRA announced an increase in pump prices for the period between May 15 and June 14, 2026, with Super Petrol rising by Ksh 16.65 and Diesel by Ksh 46.29 per litre. In Nairobi, Super Petrol, Diesel, and Kerosene now retail at Ksh 214.25, Ksh 242.92, and Ksh 152.78 respectively. The diesel price is the highest ever recorded in Kenya. 

This follows a brutal April cycle. Super Petrol rose by Ksh 28.69 to Ksh 206.97 per litre during the April–May pricing cycle, while Diesel jumped by Ksh 40.30 to Ksh 206.84 — one of the steepest monthly increases recorded in recent years, triggering nationwide shortages, panic buying, and rising transport costs.

Why Are Prices So High?

At the centre of the crisis is a volatile global oil market. International crude prices have surged sharply amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, including instability involving Iran and concerns over global supply disruptions. Brent crude reportedly climbed above $107 per barrel. Kenya, which imports all its refined petroleum products, remains highly vulnerable to such external shocks because it lacks domestic refining capacity that could help moderate price swings.

According to EPRA, international petroleum prices surged significantly in April, with Super Petrol averaging $1,060.01 per metric tonne and Diesel at $1,393.50. The Kenya shilling remained relatively stable against the US dollar, averaging about Ksh 129.56 to the dollar during the review period.


Matatus Hike Fares 50% — Strike on Monday

Matatu operators announced a 50 percent increase in fares following the latest fuel price hike. A group representing boda boda riders, matatu operators, and tour operators also announced plans for a nationwide strike on Monday to protest the rising fuel costs. Albert Karakacha, President of the Matatu Owners Association, warned that no public transport operators would run during the strike and that major roads would be blocked.

The Transport Alliance — bringing together matatu operators, boda boda riders, digital taxi drivers, cargo transporters, and other fuel-dependent stakeholders — accused EPRA of enabling "exploitative fuel pricing" and called for the immediate disbandment of the regulator, withdrawal of the latest price increase, and liberalisation of fuel pricing to allow market-driven competition.

Government Response

Despite the steep increase, the government will spend approximately Ksh 5 billion from the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) Fund to cushion consumers by subsidizing Diesel and Kerosene prices. But for millions of Kenyans already squeezed by two consecutive cycles of record hikes, it has not been enough. Inflation climbed to about 5.6 percent in April 2026, with fuel costs emerging as one of the primary drivers. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment