Defiant Matatus vow to stay put as City Hall directs them to vacate CBD

The county government wants matatus to leave the central business district in 10 days in ongoing decongestion efforts.

Matatu owners have vowed to defy a county government plan to kick them out of the central business district.

City Hall on Wednesday directed all matatus to vacate the CBD by next week in efforts to decongest the capital.

The 24 newly-introduced National Youth Service (NYS) buses are scheduled to take over operations in the CBD.

Matatu Owners Association (MOA) chairman Simon Kimutai yesterday said he was unaware of any notice from the county government ordering them out of the CBD.

“You don’t just wake up and declare matatus are going to go out of town. Where are we going to? There must be an agreement with all stakeholders as we seek solutions,” said Mr Kimutai.

He also opposed the proposal that matatus should operate from the previously gazetted nine stages now under the county government.

Kimutai said the stages lacked the capacity to accommodate the over 20,000 matatus operating in Nairobi.

“If the county government wants to do it alone, then it’ll be a problem. We also need to know whether the move is expected to affect all transport service providers or only limited to matatus,” he said.

County Transport Executive Mohammed Dagane had directed that matatus from Thika Road, Limuru Road and Kiambu Road stop at Murang'a Road A and B, Ngara and Desai Road stages.

Those coming from Langata Road, Ngong Road and Mombasa Road will only go as far as Railways Bus Station while those from Jogoo Road end their journey at Muthurwa and Hakati bus stations.

Commuters from Wayaiki Way are expected to alight at the Westlands stage.

“The current termini are being used as parking bays whereas this should not be the case. They should pick passengers and go. Matatus will not be allowed to stay more than 30 minutes at the termini,” said Mr Dagane.

He said the NYS buses would stop plying the estate routes and start ferrying passengers from the termini into the CBD.

National government

“I know there will be challenges here and there but we must do it together with the national government to end the suffering of the common man.”

Matatu Welfare Association chairman Dickson Mbugua said matatu operators would paralyse public transport countrywide unless City Hall rescinded the decision.

An order to bar matatus from the CBD was gazetted last May but not effected. Governor Mike Sonko tried to enforce it but pushed it to this month following an outcry from matatu operators.