• Senator Kihika, who has expressed interest in the governorship, has questioned the rationale behind the ban of matatus in the CBD.
• The governor has insisted on a well arranged town as Nakuru gears up to a city status.
Image: JAMES MUNYUA
The matatu sector in Nakuru has presented a new battlefront between Governor Lee Kinyanjui and Senator Susan Kihika.
This is after a matatu owners association accused Governor Kinyanjui of sidelining it from welfare talks.
Central Rift Matatu Owners Association led by chairman Stephen Muli castigated Kinyanjui for engaging the Nakuru Matatu Owners Association and leaving them out.
But Nakuru Matatu Owners Association led by chairman Peter Wambugu thanked the governor for meeting them and promised to support him.
“They are calling us brokers because they have looked for that chance in vain.They have misused their powers to insult and cause mayhem in town,” Wambugu said.
This comes after the governor met with representatives of what he said were 60 matatu saccos operating in Nakuru town to discuss long-term solutions to issues affecting them.
But the Muli-led faction said it is the one in office legally and the other group that met the governor is a "broker hell bent on hoodwinking him".
“On Tuesday, the governor met with people who do not represent this association nor do they own vehicles. They do not represent any sacco in Nakuru. We want to tell the governor that those are brokers,” Muli said
"The ones we have here are the owners and chairmen of saccos. The governor should not be lied to by being shown a few people. If he wants to speak to matatu people, we are here and are the ones in office legitimately,” Muli added.
According to the governor, however, the issues affecting the sector have been politicised but his office will work professionally to address issues affecting it
This has triggered another political contest between Kinyanjui and Senator Kihika, with one faction supporting the governor and the other one supporting the lawmaker.
Senator Kihika, who has expressed interest in the governorship, has questioned the rationale behind the ban of matatus in the CBD.
The governor has insisted on a well arranged town as Nakuru gears up to a city status.
The transport sector in Nakuru has become a political tool as 2022 campaigns start in earnest.
The group said it has issues with the relocation of matatus to the newly constructed matatu park, saying it does not feel included, despite them being the major stakeholders.
“They was no public participation during the construction of the new matatu park. We are the stakeholders and were not consulted. That’s why the county government is facing a lot of challenges when trying to relocate matatus to the park,” Muli said.
At the onset of Covid-19 outbreak, the Nakuru government relocated all matatus out of the CBD to curb the spread of the virus.
The matatu stakeholders, however, criticized the move, terming it punitive as they were taken to locations that lacked basic amenities.
They have also accused Governor Kinyanjui of blocking them from teh Nakuru CBD even after Covid-19 cases reduced and measures eased.
Matatus have since been allowed to carry full capacity.
Edited by EKibii