Former Cooperatives minister Joseph Nyagah has accused the government of punishing Kenyans by abruptly enforcing the Michuki Rules countrywide after ignoring them for years.
Nyagah said he worked with the Transport minister John Michuki to create the rules 15 years ago to curb accidents but the regulations were abandoned for many years.
It is unfair for Interior CS Fred Matiangi, his Transport colleague Francis Macharia and the National Transport and Safety Authority to start the abrupt implementation of the rules, greatly inconveniencing Kenyans who are forced to pay higher fares.
They are also not able to reach workplaces or transport goods.
Nyagah told the Star on yjr phone yesterday that Kenyans are suffering because most matatus and other public transport vehicles do not obey the rules as the relevant authorities had stopped enforcing them.
“I am concerned that matatu owners are losing a lot of money, and travellers are greatly inconvenienced by the abrupt rules NTSA and the police are enforcing. He called on Matiang’i and Macharia to suspend the crackdown.
The former minister said since the government had failed by not enforcing the rules consistently, it should give matatu owners adequate time to comply.
Nyagah said he supports the Michuki Rules as they can play a big role in reducing rampant road accidents.
