Nakuru County Matatu operators, on Tuesday, September 22, threatened to stop offering transport services after being locked out of the CBD for months.
They claim they were not consulted before being banned from accessing the town's central business district, a decision that has seen their profits plunge.
The county governor allocated the operators three stages outside the CBD in line with Covid-19 containment measures issued by the Ministry of Health and on Friday, September 18, he announced that they would be locked out permanently.
The move has seen operators threaten to stop remitting daily sticker fees to the county, which they claim was a major source of revenue for Nakuru.
"We demand matatus to be allowed back into the CBD, or find alternative ways to partially re-introduce them," lamented John Mumandi, a driver.
"We shall advise our matatu industry to stop submitting sticker fees to the Governor so he can run the county the way he deems fit," another driver stated.
They threatened to down their tools as early as Monday decrying low earnings as commuters seek other transport means to access the CBD.
Kinyanjui maintained that he resorted to the move to decongest the town and grow it to city status.
"The move is aimed at ensuring our town grows. My administration will make sure matatu operators are comfortable in the places they were relocated to.
"We will ensure the new matatu termini outside the CBD have social amenities like toilets as well as water," he stated.
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, in November 2018, attempted to ban matatus from Nairobi CBD but was forced to lift the ban a few days later after traffic snarl-up worsened.
The ban had also disadvantaged the old and the sick looking for services in the CBD.
Matatu Operators in Nakuru town are up in arms following a decision by the county government to permanently ban them from the town’s Central Business District. https://t.co/6ExlkIWx9k
— KBC Channel1 News (@KBCChannel1) September 22, 2020
