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All Matatu Sacco chairmen have now been requested to submit applications for parking and dropping points within the Nairobi Central Business District.
In a letter dated Tuesday, November 1, 2022, the head of Parking Revenue in Nairobi Frederick Ndunyu stated that the Saccos have ten days to comply after which it will be illegal and appropriate measures taken against them.
“The County will be undertaking a verification exercise to confirm the validity exercise to confirm the picking and dropping points within the county. All Sacco chairmen are requested to submit approvals to the office under-designed at City hall which should not be later than Thursday, 10 November 2022,” the letter by Ndunyu read in part.
“If no response is stipulated within the period it shall be assumed that the points are illegal and appropriate measures taken accordingly,” the letter added.
In an interview with TaarifaNews, Matatu Owners Association CEO Patricia Musyimi stated that with the hard economic times it’s not okay for the Matatus to be intimidated while they have been paying taxes to the county.
She stated that it is good they be called for a conversation regarding the period given being too short for them.
“The economic times are very hard. The letter seems to be intimidation and not even a requirement. Matatu people have been paying taxes all along hence waking up from nowhere and telling us to confirm it is very unnecessary. At the moment let’s find out how we can solve the issue of high fuel prices,” she stated.
Close to 629 Matatu Saccos have been designated to operate in the CBD with several being frozen in 2020 by the then NMS over illegal picking and dropping points.
This comes in hand as the National Police Service called for the removal of illegal LED lights from vehicles with Matatus being affected most.