Eric Omondi storms CBD with lorry of empty jerrycans over fuel crisis

Eric Omondi offloads empty jerricans from a lorry in CBD during fuel protests /HANDOUT

Comedian and activist Eric Omondi on Monday escalated his protest against rising fuel prices, storming Nairobi’s central business district with a lorry loaded with empty yellow jerricans which he offloaded onto the streets.

The protest comes days after Omondi staged a roadside demonstration where he dragged a chain of empty jerricans near a petrol station to highlight the rising cost of living following recent fuel price increases announced by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra).

In the latest action, Omondi arrived in a lorry whose rear section had been opened, before beginning to offload the empty containers onto the ground while addressing supporters and passers-by.

“Eeeh ni hivi, na kama hamtapunguza bei next week Monday ni total shutdown till Sunday. Monday to Sunday,” he said during the demonstration.

“Usiogope, weka hizi chini bro, toa tu,” he added as he continued dropping the jerricans, which he said symbolised the hardship facing ordinary Kenyans.

He later linked the empty containers to the daily struggles of citizens, saying the current economic situation had left many households drained.

“Maisha ya Wakenya ni empty kama hizi vibuyu,” Omondi said.

The crowd that gathered around him joined in chants of “punguza mafuta”, briefly disrupting movement along sections of the CBD as security officers monitored the protest.

Omondi, who was dressed in a matching kitenge outfit printed with Kenyan flag colours, also moved through parts of the city on a motorbike, continuing to chant against high fuel prices.

The demonstration followed an earlier protest last Friday where he walked along a road pulling multiple empty jerricans tied together, an act he said was meant to represent the burden of rising transport and commodity costs.

In that protest, Omondi had criticised the high cost of living, saying Kenyans were struggling to afford basic needs.

Police seize some of Eric Omondi's empty jerricans on May 18 /HANDOUT

“Hi guys, Eric Omondi here. Kila kitu ni expensive, nyanya imepanda, school fees imepanda, mafuta imepanda,” he said in the earlier video.

He also criticised leaders of being detached from ordinary citizens facing economic pressure.

“Leaders are living in luxury while the common mwananchi is suffering. Lazima tuseme imetosha,” he said.

On Monday, Omondi posted another photo shortly after the protest showing police had collected some of the empty jerricans he had left on the roadside.

He questioned the move in a social media post.

“Sasa kwa nini wamechukua vibuyu zetu?” he wrote.

The activist has in recent years used public demonstrations to draw attention to unemployment, food prices and fuel costs, often staging symbolic performances that attract both support and criticism online.

The latest protest comes amid public concern over rising fuel prices, which have triggered warnings of increased transport fares and higher commodity costs