Commuters moving between Ongata Rongai and Nairobi CBD are suffering after matatus plying the route changed drop-off points in a bid to avoid police harassment over Covid-19 compliance.
Several passengers found themselves stranded on Monday, August 3 after a crackdown saw the matatu operators begin avoiding various stretches of the route.
Those headed to Rongai from the CBD were dropped at Galleria, with few matatus going past GEMS Cambridge along Magadi Road. A similar situation was witnessed in Rongai as matatu operators were unwilling to get to the CBD.
The situation saw various termini in Nairobi jam-packed with stranded passengers, even as the matatus hiked their fares.
As of Monday, August 3, passengers heading to Rongai from Nairobi were being charged between Ksh300 and Ksh350, up from Ksh100-150.
Many passengers unaware of the situation were left surprised after being dropped at unusual drop-off points far from their homes.
Boda boda riders moved in to capitalize on the situation, ferrying many for the final mile between points including Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) and GEMS Cambridge to Rongai.
The riders, however, also hiked their prices further complicating matters for stranded passengers.
One resident who commutes between Rongai and Nairobi on most days, Brian, told Kenyans.co.ke that the situation remained bad on Tuesday, August 4.
"There are few matatus which are actually going the full distance to town, others claim they are being shaken down by police over the Covid-19 certificates so its affecting their earnings. Because the vehicles are few the fares have also gone up," he explained.
One passenger, Joyce Nyawiri, was one of the numerous passengers stranded on Monday, August 3 and shared her harrowing experience.
"Every stage for Rongai matatus was full. I wish I had taken a photo of the huge crowd at Nyayo Stadium. Some of us managed to bargain with the boda boda riders at Cambridge and they agreed to carry us. I paid 150 for the bike to Tuskys but the problem is, I live past Tuskys!
"I got home dirty, sweaty and exhausted. I couldn't feel my feet. I had a throbbing headache," she recalled, frustrated.
The Government had announced in July that public transport operators would be required to comply with a raft of guidelines on the pandemic to be allowed on the roads.
Protocols published to guide the transport sector focus on measures to be taken to enforce physical distancing, facilitate contact tracing, and manage suspected Covid-19 cases.
For inter-county travel, such as between Rongai, Kajiado County and Nairobi, one must also obtain a certificate from the Ministry of Health affirming compliance.
Matatu Owners Association Chairman Simon Kimutai was yet to respond to related queries made by Kenyans.co.ke by the time of publication.
Various operators had, however, called for an easing of the restrictions arguing that it had made their businesses unsustainable.
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