• The Nairobi senator has accused NMS boss Mohamed Badi of failing to involve leaders and the public.
• Badi had announced that matatus, which have been blamed for congestion and disorder in the city, will not be allowed to access CBD from this month.
Image: COURTESY
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja has criticised the planned removal of matatus from the City Centre in yet another attempt to decongest the capital.
Sakaja took on Nairobi Metropolitan Services director general Mohamed Badi's plan to remove the public service vehicles, saying he didn't involve leaders and the public.
“In as much as we support the plans to decongest the city, you can only ban matatus from the CBD when you have provided an alternative for the passengers coming from across the city,” Sakaja said.
“Imagine a sick old man or woman being dropped at Globe Roundabout to walk all the way to Uhuru Highway then to Railways Golf Club to get a matatu to Kenyatta National Hospital,” the senator posed
Badi had announced that matatus, which have been blamed for congestion and disorder in the city, will not be allowed to access CBD from this month.
However, sources have intimated to the Star that the order may not be effected anytime soon as NMS is yet to complete the construction of termini outside the CBD to accommodate the matatus.
However, Sakaja said although he supported the initiative to decongest the city, he urged Badi to involve the city leaders in his undertakings.
“... private vehicles are causing more congestion in the city than public vehicles. One matatu can take 30 or 40 people while you find one individual driving a car,” he said.
“Let us do it humanely. I have told the Nairobi Metropolitan Services team that they must stop behaving as if they cannot work with the other leaders,” he added.
If Badi goes ahead to effect the ban, matatus from Thika Road will terminate at Desai and Park Road termini; those from Jogoo Road will end their journeys at Muthurwa, while those plying Waiyaki Way will stop at Ngara.
Matatus coming through Ngong and Lang’ata roads will terminate their journeys at a terminal under construction at what was Railway Golf Club off Uhuru Highway.
Initially, NMS had targeted the land where Neno Evangelism Church is built but a court process forced it to look for an alternative.
Badi said there will also be an express way starting near Kenya Planters Cooperative Union building and terminate at Jogoo Road.
“We are still in the process of acquiring other lands that we will use as matatu stages to free up the city,” Badi told the committee.
“Before December, we will be able to keep all matatus out of the CBD,” Badi said then.
NMS is attempting to implement a plan that previous administrations at City Hall have not succeeded at.
Former Governor Evans Kidero’s administration and his successor, Mike Sonko, failed to actualise the matatu ban.
Badi told the committee chaired by chaired by Kiambaa MP Paul Koinange that NMS is working with Kenya Railways to ensure all their lines are operational to reduce pressure on the roads.