Nairobi, Sept. 13 -- Kenya faces fresh pressure on fuel prices, transport costs and industrial supplies after shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to single digits, raising fears of deeper disruption to imports from the Gulf.

Preliminary ship-tracking data by Reuters showed on Friday that only seven vessels transited the waterway on Thursday, marking a significant drop compared to the 10-day average of 15 vessels.

The latest shipping data came as Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels were reported to have seized control of the country's entire Red Sea coast, strengthening their grip over another critical shipping route.

The advance gives the Houthis greater control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait, which links the Gulf of Aden w...