It’s been a bumpy ride this year for Kenya’s matatu sector, especially in Nairobi.
It has been blamed for deaths, congestion in the city centre, being run by cartels, thieves and all manner of ills.
On December 3, all matatus were banned from the CBD, causing thousands of commuters to walk. It lasted just 24 hours.
A report from the Matatu Owners’ Association says at least 70 per cent of Kenyans rely on public transport, which generates more than Sh200 billion annually.
Kenya has 200,000 matatus, 20,000 based in Nairobi. About 439,000 matatu members are paid daily.
This year, the industry has faced disruptions causing huge losses to agriculture and other sectors.
The association’s chairman Simon Kimutai said the sector has been “taken on a roller coaster ride this year”.
“We have made headlines and unfortunately it is not being congratulated but being taken as a joke,” he said.
NYS buses
Problems started in March when matatu operators in the capital accused the government of unfairly targeting them. The accusation followed the introduction of the National Youth Service buses to ease the commuter crises during heavy rains.
NYS deployed 27 large buses plying the Kawangware, Kariobangi, Dandora, Kibera, Githurai, Mukuru kwa Njenga and Mwiki routes.
MOA chairman Simon Kimutai questioned the criteria used to introduce the buses, saying the National Transportation and Safety Authority had suspended licensing of new matatu operators.
Matatu Welfare Association chairman Dickson Mbugua said the buses, which have been charging a flat rate of Sh20, have an unfair advantage since they don’t pay taxes like the PSVs.
FARE Increase
Following Treasury CS Henry Rotich’s decision to charge 16 per cent VAT on petroleum products, matatu saccos increased their fares by Sh20 within Nairobi and by 20 per cent for long distances outside the city.
As a result, petrol prices rose from Sh112.1 to Sh130 per litre, an increment of Sh17.9 per litre. Some matatu opertors threatened to go on strike. Kimutai dismissed the claims of unfair increases but said commuters would have to dig deeper into their pockets.
The sector was also put on the spot after rowdy youths were hanging from PSVs and standing on top of them, turning Moi Avenue in the CBD into a no-go zone for them.
NTSA then suspended six licences of the drivers who had been caught on camera driving dangerously.
In June, a City Shuttle bus conductor allegedly pushed a security guard out of a moving bus along Waiyaki Way in a dispute over Sh10. The guard died.
Also in June, a business student died after she was pushed from a moving vehicle along Thika Highway.
Nairobi Transport executive Mohammed Dagane said indiscipline was rife in the industry.
NTSA statistics from January reveal an increase in road fatalities in 2018.
This has been blamed on drivers who fail to observe road safety and traffic rules. Transport CS James Macharia and his Interior counterpart Fred Matiang’i demanded enforcement of regulations.
NATIONAL STRIKE
The rigorous Michuki rules, among measures to reduce road carnage, made a comeback in November. The strict regulations disrupted public transport as matatu operators called for a national strike in protest.
Thousands of commuters were forced to walk to work because PSVs were not allowed on the road until they complied with regulations. This included seatbelts, installation of speed governors, roadworthy vehicles, licensed drivers and uniforms for drivers and touts.
The NTSA announced it will no longer renew licences for 14-seater matatus in Nairobi.
The few PSVs on the road hiked their fares by more than Sh50. The Federation of Public Transport Operators chairman Edwin Mukabana called off the strike and apologised.
The problems reached a climax when Governor Mike Sonko barred all matatus from the CBD. They were required to drop off and pick passengers at termini outside the city.
Thousands of Nairobians walked long distances to get to the termini. They included the physically challenged, the elderly, expectant mothers and small children.
Sonko said the exercise was good for them and was adamant the ban would not be lifted.
Facing a torrent of criticism, Sonko suspended the ban less than 24 hours after it took effect. He said he would reintroduce it.