Kenyans should brace for tough times ahead as matatu owners and operators in Kenya are set to increase fares by 20 per cent following the hike in fuel prices.

This was announced by the chairman of the Association of Matatu Operators Jamal Ibrahim.

Jamal said the hike was unfortunate because Kenyans are currently already overburdened by the high cost of living. 

He said the matatu industry must also find a way to stay afloat.

Speaking in Meru, Jamal said many matatu operators are not able to service their loans and that has led to some of them losing their matatus to banks and other financial institutions.

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Jamal appealed to the government to crack down on filling stations that are selling fuel at a cost higher than the recommended retail prices.

The chairman Matatu Owners Association Simon Kimutai also reiterated similar sentiments about the hike in fares.

Kimutai who was speaking to a local media house said they will be forced to increase the fares to sustain their business.

He said the move to hike the fares is not to exploit Kenyans but guarantee operators meet higher operating costs caused by the hike in fuel prices.

Kimutai added that it was common for any additional costs in business to be transferred to the consumers.

“Any additional costs in business doing, it is common sense to pass it to the consumer. It is not exploiting but shifting the additional cost as it is,” Kimutai said.

Kimutai added that if anyone was to blame for the imminent hike in fares then it was the government.

He said their industry has tried reasoning with the government to provide special subsidies to public transport and be sensitive to the fact that over 90 per cent of Kenyans use public transport.

“If anybody wants to make noise, make noise to the government, not us. We have tried telling them they should be sensitive to the fact majority of Kenyans use public transport and they should provide special subsidies to public transport because over 90 per cent of Kenyans use public transport to transact businesses which benefits the government,” Kimutai said.

This hike in fares is going to be felt by a large number of Kenyans especially when they are going to travel from the Easter Holidays and when children are going to travel back to school for their next term.