Commuters Pay More as Matatus Ignore MoA Fare Directive

What has changed

On Friday morning, some operators began charging Sh150 for routes that normally cost Sh100, a 50 per cent increase. In another reported example, a trip to Westlands through Parklands that normally costs about Sh50 was charged at Sh70, equivalent to a 40 per cent rise.

The MOA had directed member operators to raise fares by 10 per cent. Under that directive, a Sh100 fare would have risen to Sh110, not Sh150. The gap between the association’s guidance and actual charges on the ground has therefore raised questions about compliance within the sector.

For a commuter making two trips daily, an increase from Sh100 to Sh150 per trip adds Sh100 a day. Over 22 working days, that amounts to about Sh2,200 a month—an amount that could otherwise go toward food, rent, school fees or other household needs.

Why operators acted

The immediate trigger is EPRA’s latest monthly fuel review, which took effect on October 15 and runs until November 14. EPRA raised the price of super petrol by Sh12.93 per litre, diesel by Sh9.90 and kerosene by Sh28.49.

Diesel is particularly significant for public transport because it powers a large share of matatus and buses. MOA national chairman Albert Karakacha said operators could no longer absorb the higher operating costs without making losses, and warned that the burden would be passed on to passengers.

The regulator attributed the increase to higher international petroleum costs. It said the average landing cost of super petrol rose by 11.81 per cent, from $874.26 per cubic metre in August 2026 to $977.55 in September, while diesel costs increased by 11.2 per cent.

MOA’s position

The MOA’s official position is a 10 per cent fare adjustment, not the up-to-50 per cent increases reported on some routes. Karakacha said the increase was necessary for operators to remain financially viable after the diesel price rise, and indicated that the new fares would take effect immediately.

He also criticised the government, saying President William Ruto had failed to honour an agreement reached with transport stakeholders in Mombasa in May concerning fuel prices. According to the association, that agreement was meant to protect diesel prices from increases, and its apparent collapse has left operators carrying higher costs.

The MOA has further called for government intervention, including the reintroduction of fuel subsidies or the creation of a stabilisation fund to cushion both operators and consumers from volatile fuel prices.

Impact on commuters

The fare increases arrive at a difficult time for households already dealing with higher prices for essential goods and services. Low-income workers, students and small traders who depend on matatus are likely to feel the impact most directly because transport is a daily, unavoidable expense.

Higher fares also have a wider economic effect. Workers spend more getting to workplaces, while traders face increased costs moving between homes, markets and commercial centres. Those costs can eventually feed into the prices of goods and services, adding to inflationary pressure.

The timing is especially sensitive because schools are in session and many families are managing term-related expenses. Karakacha reportedly apologised to parents over the timing of the increase, while maintaining that operators needed to make a profit to stay in business.

Compliance and enforcement

The central issue now is not simply whether fares should rise, but whether individual operators are bound by the MOA’s 10 per cent directive. Matatu fares in Kenya are not generally set through a single, uniformly enforced public price list; SACCOs, route associations and individual crews often have considerable discretion, particularly during periods of fuel-price volatility.

That structure helps explain why a directive for a 10 per cent increase can translate into 40 or 50 per cent hikes on particular routes. It also highlights a regulatory gap: unless authorities actively monitor fares and respond to complaints, passengers have limited protection against charges that exceed an industry association’s guidance.

The Standard reported that some matatus had increased fares by up to Sh100, especially during rush hours. One commuter said the fare from Ngong to the city centre had doubled, forcing an additional Sh100 per trip.

What to watch

Three developments will determine whether the situation stabilises. First, whether the MOA enforces its 10 per cent ceiling among member SACCOs and route operators. Second, whether the government responds to the association’s demands on diesel pricing, subsidies or a stabilisation fund. Third, whether consumer-protection and transport authorities intervene where operators impose charges far beyond the announced adjustment.

For now, commuters face an immediate reality: a journey that cost Sh100 may now cost Sh150, and the monthly cost of getting to work may rise by thousands of shillings. Unless fares are standardised or fuel costs are cushioned, the dispute between operators, government and passengers is likely to continue.