Matatu Owners Advise Sakaja on How to Decongest Nairobi CBD

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja during a meeting with various stakeholders on Tuesday May 2, 2023
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja during a meeting with various stakeholders on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
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Johnson Sakaja

Matatu Owners Association(MOA) Chairman Simon Kimutai stated that the government ought to increase taxation for private vehicles entering the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) as a solution to decongestion.

Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke on Monday, January 30, Kimutai noted that the Public Service Vehicles are charged a higher operational and parking fee, despite not having enough parking spaces.

MOA appealed to Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja to engage stakeholders before making any move to come up with viable solutions that would not interfere with public transport in Nairobi.

A Collage of Johnson Sakaja and Matatus in the Nairobi CBD
A collage of Johnson Sakaja addressing a meeting in Nairobi in November 2022 (left) and Matatus withing the CBD (right).
File

“Matatu operators pay over Ksh500 for parking charges yet there is not enough parking space in the CBD. Private vehicles pay only Ksh200 for parking for the whole day. 

“They should increase those charges for private vehicles if they want to reduce traffic snarl-up,” Kimutai explained.

Patricia Mutheu, the Chief Executive Officer of the association added that the move to relocate matatus from the CBD out to be halted, demanding a documented case study that proved the claim that matatus caused congestion in the city.

“No one has ever studied how many private vehicles get into the city daily. We are not the contributors to congestion in the CBD. 

“The county government should reconsider increasing taxes for private vehicles because it will discourage them from getting into the city,” Mutheu stated. 

Additionally, she noted that contrary to the opinion, matatus help in the decongestion as they have a higher capacity as opposed to private vehicles.

“We are not compelled that a bus that is carrying masses is the main contributor to congestion in the city,” Mutheu added.

Moreover, Kimutai stated that taxation of public transportation led to a strain on the much-needed services by the public and ought to be done away with altogether.

“They should remove those taxes altogether because they do not make sense. The services public transport is a very important sector and the county government should ensure that the operators work under good conditions. 

“Removing the charges will really help us serve the customers better,” Kimutai stated. 

Earlier on Sunday, January 22, Bosire Wilfred, Chairman of the Matatu Crew Association, opposed a plan by governor Johnson Sakaja to remove matatus from Nairobi CBD noting that the city needed proper planning to accommodate everyone.

"What is lacking is proper planning. You are taking shortcuts to find a solution, which is why we are still stuck in the same place," Wilfred told Sakaja.

Sakaja had earlier kicked Western and Rift Valley Matatus out of CBD to the Green Park Terminus after meeting Saccos and other transport stakeholders.

However, the Saccos were granted a reprieve after the High Court issued orders prohibiting the move to Green Park Terminus.

A photo of matatus at a bus terminus
A photo of matatus at a bus terminus in Nairobi, Kenya.
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Motor Trends