Interior CS Fred Matiang'i says plans underway to finish matatu cartels

Traffic police officers control vehicles at Mto wa Mawe Bridge in Athi River on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway on March 16, 2018. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

If you use public transport, then brace yourself for delays and disruptions.

The government is planning to make the roads safer and more efficient, but at a cost. The Interior ministry says plans are underway to also sanitize the sector to attract investors who have initially been locked out by cartels.

The sanitization operation wants to wipe away criminal gangs, rogue matatus, politicians and corrupt traffic cops. In September, a matatu rammed into a patrol car damaging it during chaos in Nairobi Central Business District.

The gangs are known to extort money from vehicle owners. However, the Fred Matiang’i-led ministry will launch the operation in two weeks to get rid of the multi-billion-shilling cartel.

But Nairobi commuters have heard such claims before, and witnessed the matatu crew defy orders issued. Matatu owners vowed to defy a county government plan to kick them out of the CBD when City Hall directed all matatus to vacate to decongest the capital.

Kenyans have been longing for a streamlined transport system, similar to Kenya Bus operations between 1970-80.

Apart from improved efficiency, Matiang’i has promised a multi-agency team to be revealed next week. He attended a meeting at the National Transport and Safety Authority offices on Thursday.

The agency, which involves the National Intelligence Service, will play a leading role in clearing the city of cartels such as Mungiki, who control the criminals, with rogue officers turning a blind eye.

The NIS will be tasked with nabbing the networks and cartels who have contributed to passengers’ suffering in the operation described as “ruthless and painful”.

Officials in the meeting included PS Karanja Kibicho, Transport CS James Macharia and PS Esther Koimet, together with Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has approved plans to prosecute rogue traffic officers as well as vetting PSV drivers and conductors.

The operation seems timely for matatu owners, who have long been at the mercy of the cartels.

Matatu Owners Association chairman Simon Kimutai on Wednesday said, “The industry has been taken over by gangs … we have nobody to help us.”

He went on, “Every day, a matatu parts with Sh1,000 bribe. We have 80,000 matatus operating in a single day.”

Kenya has more than 200,000 registered PSVs in the capital alone, run by saccos and limited companies.

Reports show PSVs part with Sh50 billion annually through bribes.

Kimutai cited the Country Bus station, which he said is run by cartels.

Even though the measures will be unveiled in two weeks, the operators will have until November 1 to comply with the regulations that centre around seat belts, crew uniforms and speed governors.

The rules will play close attention to the vehicle body structure. A senior Transport authority official recently said only 322 PSVs comply with the body structure standards.