While Government is putting in place strict measures to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, a section of Kenyans are flaunting the rules, risking the lives of thousands.
Reports reaching Kenyans.co.ke disclosed that matatu operators living in rural areas are still going against directives set by the government.
A spot check by our newsdesk observed that 14-seater vehicles plying the Kisumu-Usenge route flaunted the rule.
At police check spots, the drivers issued Ksh 100 notes to the officers and got away with disobeying the government's orders.
"They carry excess passengers, sometimes more than the official limit of 14, there is no social distancing," sources told our newsdesk.
Normal fares applied for this set of rogue matatus as they continued to ferry passengers well in excess of the stipulated limit required to maintain the social distancing directive.
On Friday, March 21, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe directed 14-seater matatus to carry a maximum of 8 passengers, 25-seaters to carry 15, buses whose sitting capacity is 30 and above to have no more than 60 percent occupancy.
In addition, the matatus are yet to provide sanitisers or hand-washing stations for their customers.
The president, in his address to the nation on Sunday, March 15, identified the public transport sector as one of the conduits in which the virus could spread, given the number of people using it on a daily basis.
One of the directives he thus issued out was that public service vehicles (PSVs) should provide hand sanitizers to their customers and adopt cashless payment systems to combat the possible spread of the deadly virus.
Matatus in Nairobi city have since followed the rules with most of them having erected hand-washing stations and put in place hand sanitizers.
