Matatu operators in Makueni County protested against the use of private vehicles, such as proboxes, for public transport services without proper licensing.
In a move to protest the operations by private vehicles, the matatu operators in the Wote constituency refused to pack in the matatu area provided by the county and instead operated outside the provided area.
The operators demanded that the private vehicles be removed from the parking lot and be stopped from carrying passengers since they do not pay the license fee which they as matatu and public vehicle operators pay.
Transport services were disrupted for over five hours as the matatu operators forcefully removed the probox operators from the packing area.
"We had issued the county leadership with a notice that today we will protest against the probox and other private vehicles carrying passengers without a license but they ignored us, that is why today we are outside here," Mutua Shedrack one of the matatu operators explained.
The matatu operators association in the county emphasized that the county must dissolve the business by the private vehicles or else, they would not be continuing with paying the licence fees.
According to the operators, they pay up to Ksh3,000 and sometimes Ksh3,200 per month and a different additional annual fee to the county to allow them to park and use the area and it was unfair for the private vehicles to take the space and passengers.
The matatu union argues that the private vehicles operating without licenses are undermining them yet they pay taxes.
"What we are saying is that these unlicensed private vehicles operating as PSVs must be removed here in Makueni. We have given the county 14 days to reveal how they will remove them in the whole county or else, we stop paying the license taxes," Mutava Vunza, the chairman of the Matatu Association in Makueni warned.
They are calling on the county government to remove these private vehicles from designated parking areas and enforce regulations.
While meeting the operators, Makueni police commander Alice Kimei and Makueni devolution Minister Nicholas Nzioka asked the matatu association to be patient and give the council three months to resolve the issues and return sanity to the county.
"We have agreed that after three months, we should have resolved all the matters that have been raised so that we can have sanity and order in Wote and the whole county," Nzioka assured the matatu operators.
