Kenya's matatu strikes leave four dead and transport paralysed

Four people have been killed and at least 30 injured in protests linked to Kenya's nationwide transport strikes against recent increases in the cost of fuel, according to the interior minister. Thousands of commuters were left stranded, with key roads in the capital Nairobi largely empty as some businesses remained shut and schools asked students to stay at home. Protesters have been blocking roads and erecting burning barricades. Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen added that 348 people had been arrested. The strike comes days after the authorities raised petroleum prices to record levels, with costs increasing by more than 20%. Kenya, like many other African countries, relies heavily on fuel imports from the Gulf, a supply route disrupted by the US-Israel conflict with Iran that began on 28 February. Even though a ceasefire has been declared, fuel prices have remained high as the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's oil passes through, is still blocked. Many passengers were stranded at bus stops in the capital in the morning. Others arriving from elsewhere to Nairobi could not get into the city. "There is no matatu anywhere... We used to pay 100 to 150 shillings, right