Mosiria announces fresh directives for matatus operating in Nairobi CBD
Nairobi County Chief Officer for Environment Geoffrey Mosiria has announced new directives for matatus to adhere to when operating in Nairobi CBD.
Speaking during an interview with a local publication on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Mosiria noted that matatu operators should keep their spaces clean, he complained that majority of matatus operators in CBD keep an unclean space making it difficult for street sweepers to efficiently do their jobs.
Mosiria continued that matatu operators should avoid loud music whenever operating within CBD, he explained that they should pause music and wait to play after they leave CBD. This directive according to him, also applies to loud operators fond of pursuing potential passengers.
He advised that operators should use placards to approach their potential customers.
“Matatus zile stage zao mahali wanabebea, it is their responsibility to keep them clean because it is their office na sheria inasema within 10 metres radius, it is your responsibility to keep it clean, you find matatus wanakuja wanabebea hapo wanaoshea hapo, wanatoa uchafu wanamwaga hapo then hawasongezi magari wakati unafagia inakua shida. So we issued them a notice that then they have to clean those stages they keep them clean for us to sweep. Ukiwa town don’t play loud music just switch off music, get your passengers wale wataingia wafungulie music mkitoka town, when in town hakuna kelele, na wale wa kuitana kelele sasa hatuitaji, kama unaitana itana na placard, tafuta kibao, onyesha watu ndio hii gari polepole, because there has to be order,” he said.
Matatu operators protest
Mosiria’s comments come days after a section of Matatu operators blocked sections of Kencom and the Ambassador area to protest against their eviction from designated parking spots and stages within the CBD.
As they demonstrated, the operators decried that they had no alternative spaces for their vehicles.
The new round of protests came barely weeks after the operators protested after the county government’s decision to allocate parking spaces to hawkers, in a move aimed at clearing pedestrian walkways on busy streets.
