Traders count huge losses as normalcy restored on Kasarani-Mwiki road

Traders operating along Kasarani-Mwiki road have incurred huge losses following a four-day matatu strike.

Matatu crews protested against the pathetic state of the road, paralysing public transport from Monday to Thursday. Even though normalcy has been restored after the state released Sh300 million for its repair, traders say their businesses have been hurt and it will take time to recover. 

The road was opened on Friday morning as PSVs resumed operations. During the protests, many shops along the route remained closed. Demonstrators engaged police officers in running battles that left a 17-year-old boy dead and several others injured. The boy was caught up in the melee.

Criminal gangs took advantage of the strike to loot businesses and mug pedestrians who had to walk long distances to their houses in Stima, Maternity, Hunters, Maji Mazuri, Sunton and Mwiki. Those travelling to the city centre and other parts of Nairobi had to walk to Roysambu to catch a Thika or Githurai bus. Others used the Njiru route. 

Moses Kamau, who owns a furniture shop, said a group of youths attacked his store on Wednesday and were only stopped by a matatu operator known to him.

“I had come to pick some items ordered online to deliver in town when a group of youths stormed my shop. They made away with a set of three tables and were scrambling for more when a driver I know came to my rescue,” he said.

Kamau said he has not been able to finish making a sofa set that was supposed to be delivered on Tuesday because of the strike. “This is my sole source of income. Depending on what I sell, I make at least Sh70,000 a day. Closing for even a day is bad for my business,” he explained.

Kamau said his business survives on online orders, but he lost a number of clients because he was unable to deliver on time. “Online shoppers are impatient. You fail to deliver, they look for other options, no excuses,” he said.

But matatu operators said the protest was worth the trouble because the government at last acted and released money to repair the road. Motorists said they had incurred huge losses in repairing their vehicles and wasted so much time in traffic jams.

“We get at least Sh9,000 daily. That means we have lost at least Sh36,000. It is unfortunate that it had to take bullets to get the state to act,” driver Onesmus Kinyanjui said.

The operators agreed to call off the strike on Thursday after a meeting between Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja, Kenya Urban Roads Authority acting MD Silas Kinoti, representatives of matatu Saccos and security officers from Kasarani.

The government has also set aside Sh1.7 billion to repair 13 kilometres of roads in the capital. "We knew that after the rains, roads would be damaged and for Nairobi alone, we have committed Sh1.7 billion and contractors are already on site," Kinoti said.

"For Kasarani, we budgeted for it separately because it required more resources. We have set aside Sh300 million, but we are going to do small maintenance works to ensure it is sustainable. We have plans to ensure that after the rains, the roads are repaired."

Sakaja said they struck a deal with matatu operators to resume operations as the authority moves to fix the dilapidated two-kilometre stretch.