Matatu Crew Welfare Association’s Fury Over Senior Official’s Son’s Untouchable Matatus
The Matatu Crew Welfare Association has voiced concerns about facing discrimination in the pursuit of justice within the matatu industry.
Two matatus operating on the Ngong – Nairobi route have been repeatedly violating traffic laws openly, even in the presence of traffic police.
These matatus reportedly belong to a prominent government official’s son, causing police to hesitate in arresting them due to fears of job loss or transfer.
The association claims that these two vehicles frequently flout the law, obstructing and harassing other operators.
“Kuna magari watu wanasema ni za serikali, gari haina at jina ya Sacco…gari inakuja hapa inareverse kwa roundabout, askari wanaangalia tu,” said WIlfred Bosire, the association chairman.
They claim to have reported the matter to the traffic police, but the police are scared to handle the matter.
The vehicles are said to lack PSV and insurance and do not belong to any Sacco.
Jasper, an investor in the matatu sector, told Citizen TV that: “Nyinyi kama waandishi wa habari, ningependa mchunguze hiyo gari kama imepita kiwango ya kufanya kazi ya matatu kulingana na sheria za trafiki na NTSA Act.”
A brief investigation and a swift search of the matatu revealed that they are not listed in the official NTSA portal.
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They also do not possess Road Service Licenses (RSL) and have not undergone inspection. Further inspection revealed that one matatu had indeed not been inspected.
Citizen TV also checked if the two matatus were registered with any Sacco, and the findings were surprising.
Typically, vehicles at the Railways stage must wait in line for up to four hours to pick up passengers, but these vehicles reportedly do not adhere to these rules.
Citizen TV confirmed this by filming one of the matatus at the Railways roundabout, where it was dropping off passengers and causing obstruction in the presence of a police officer.
The vehicle was also observed reversing in front of police officers to pick up passengers ahead of other vehicles that had been waiting for hours.
It is reported that the police are aware of this situation but have not taken action, claiming they have been threatened regarding the matter.
“Askari wa trafiki, hata Regional Commander, hawaeziongelea hizo magari, hii ni nchi gani tunaishi? People are scared, they can’t speak, but some of us must speak whether we’re going to be abducted or not. We want fairness in doing business,” added Jasper.
Citizen TV further investigated the ownership of the vehicles and uncovered that they belong to the son of a well-known politician, whose identity has been kept confidential for security reasons.
“His son cannot rape the same Constitution that he’s supposed to take care of,” stated Jasper.
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Wilfred added: “Huwezi sema gari ni ya serikali…si iwekwe GK basi, ifanye kazi ya serikali…atuwache tufanye kaz ya PSV.”
The crew operators are now planning to hold demonstrations next week on Wednesday, August 7th, if nothing is done on the same.
They assert that they have no objections to anyone conducting business; rather, their goal is for everyone to adhere to legal regulations.
“We’re going to demonstrate in Nairobi…we’re going to block all the roads because we can’t accept impunity,” said Jasper.
The NTSA sets various prerequisites that matatu operators must fulfill before they can legally operate their business.
Among these prerequisites is the necessity for the vehicle to possess a current inspection certificate, active insurance coverage, and a valid road service license.
Additionally, after selecting your intended route, you must choose a matatu Sacco to affiliate with.
Membership in a Sacco is compulsory for all matatus; however, Citizen TV has reported that these matatus are not affiliated with any Sacco.
Matatu Crew Welfare Association’s Fury Over Senior Official’s Son’s Untouchable Matatus
