Nairobians Stranded as Matatus’ Protest the Reincarnation of ‘Michuki Rules’

Nairobi residents on Monday woke to deserted matatu stages as matatu operators took to their second day of strike protesting the comeback of ‘Michuki’ traffic rules.

Residents of Donholm, Umoja, Buru Buru, Kayole, Pangani, Githurai, Roysambu, Zimmerman and neighboring places were pushed to walk to work or source other means to get to work. The long queues were hard to ignore as most commuters seemed unaware of the situation and continued to wait. In some of the areas though, a number of matatus operated taking advantage of the high demand of transportation to extort commuters of exorbitant prices.

The strike had earlier been counseled as Kenyans mocked the operators on social media platforms over their flopped strike.

Police impounded over 60 matatus, on Sunday, for violating traffic rules and regulations as the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) stated that the crackdown would increase despite protests from the operators.

‘Michuki rules’ were introduced by the late John Michuki who was the then Minister for Transport and Communications. The rules built Michuki’s legacy and aimed at restoring order in public transport, especially the chaotic matatu sector. The rules came into effect in February 2004 and required all PSV matatus and buses to install speed governors, passenger safety belts, operate in clearly defined routes, carry a specified number of passengers while their drivers and conductors were required to be disciplined and to have a clean security record.

The rules earned Michuki praise and criticism in equal measure but were undoubtedly successful as the road carnage reduced significantly. In recognition of his efforts to reform the public transport, Michuki won the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Waziri award.

The current increase in deaths following road accidents seems to have woken the sleeping authorities bringing back the famous Michuki rules.

“Therefore, effective Monday, 12th November 2018, any PSV vehicle, drivers, SACCOs/Transport companies, passengers and other relevant parties that fail to comply with the provisions of the NTSA Act and the Traffic Act will be firmly dealt with in accordance with the law,” the government spoke through a statement issued on 25th October which continued to state:

Before the said deadline, all public service vehicles (PSV) must be fitted with:-

• Speed limiters/governors.
• Safety belts (seat belts).
• Yellow continuous line.

At the same time, all PSV drivers and conductors are required to:-

• Wear uniforms and PSV badges as prescribed by law.
• Prominently display their photos as prescribed by law.