President William Ruto’s Senior Advisor on Constitutional Affairs, Professor Makau Mutua, has proposed controversial reforms targeting the matatu industry.
Mutua called for the reintroduction of reliable public buses, the licensing of a limited number of standardised matatus, and reiterated his earlier proposal to ban boda bodas in major cities and towns across the country.
Taking to his X account, he proposed the return of clean, timely, and dependable buses similar to the defunct Kenya Bus Service (KBS).
“Let’s return road sanity to Kenya’s major cities/towns by introducing reliable, clean, and timely buses (aka KBS),” he wrote in part.
He also urged the government to license only a limited number of matatus, all of which must be of the same model and colour.
“License LIMITED number of matatus that must have the same model minibuses with the same colour (no strange camouflage and weird lights), and ban boda boda. No pain, no gain,” he continued.
If considered, Mutua's proposal would introduce a raft of changes to the matatu industry. Currently, there is no standard colour or model for matatus, with each vehicle customised to stand out.
Most are described as chaotic due to loud music, erratic driving, and frequent traffic violations.
Matatus have also been accused of contributing to traffic jams in major cities due to their high numbers. However, if Mutua's proposals are anything to go by, this situation could change.
All matatus would be of the same model and colour, eliminating the current visual disorder. Licences would be issued to a limited number of operators, thereby reducing congestion and promoting uniformity.
Recently, Mutua has been making proposals that have sparked tension and mixed reactions among many Kenyans. His recent call to ban boda bodas from cities and towns stirred controversy, with the Boda Boda Association of Kenya strongly opposing the idea.
His proposals on the overhaul of matatus come barely a week after President William Ruto's son, George Ruto, launched a highly-pimped matatu dubbed 'Mood'. Mood has many, if not everything, that Mutua is advocating against.
