Matatu operators from Thika operating in areas as far as Nairobi on Tuesday threatened to go on strike while lamenting fee hikes and harassment allegations by the county government officers. The kick off date was, however, not made public.
Speaking in a press briefing, the operators vowed to paralyse operations if Kiambu County failed to address their concerns urgently.
The operators faulted the County Government of Kiambu for introducing new fees and levies without public participation involving relevant stakeholders.
“We are supposed to be called for public participation and our input factored into the proposals instead of us being forced to pay new taxes,” One of the matatu owners lamented.
According to the stakeholders, the county government has hiked fees by 84 per cent which is a burden to them as the prevailing economic hardships have made business operations difficult.
“Previously, we used to pay Ksh1,900 but this time round, we are told we will start paying Ksh3,500 which as matatu operators, we have viewed as a heavy burden because of economic hardships,” another official decried.
The operators objected to the Ksh50,000 imposed by the County Government of Kiambu as a re-registration fee for the stages they have been operating from. The operators maintained that they would not pay a cent since the fees were not part of the agreement when they took their licenses.
Equally, the operators also dismissed the newly imposed advertisement taxes on them for the billboards and signages placed on top of the vehicles and offices as outright extortion.
They argued that some Saccos have as many as 50 billboards making it difficult for such Saccos to operate once they pay the fees.
The operators further lamented that they do not engage in any advertisement and such fees are malicious to their businesses. They further claimed that they only offer directions to their customers and that does not pass for an advertisement.
“We have also been informed we will be required to pay advisement fees but we don’t engage in any type of advertisement, we just assist our customers to find the right direction because we mostly ferry old people,” they protested.
They added that despite paying taxes in their respective stages, the road from Thika to Gatitu is filled with potholes which leads to losses to their businesses because they are required to make frequent vehicle repairs.
The operators, as a result, appealed to the county government to halt the new changes and engage all stakeholders even as Thika town is poised to transition into a smart city.
