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NTSA to lift matatu graffiti ban, Ruto says
22nd May, 2026 11:39 AM
President William Ruto has directed the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to reverse its ban on graffiti and artwork on public service vehicles (PSVs).
Ruto made the announcement on Friday, May 22, 2026, during a press conference at State House, Mombasa, where he addressed several matters, including the ongoing fuel crisis.
“Recognising the important role of creativity and self-expression within our transport culture, I have also directed the NTSA to facilitate an enabling environment for matatu operators to continue utilising artwork and graffiti on their vehicles in a manner that upholds safety and respect for other road users,” the president said.
The directive marks a significant policy reversal, coming barely a month after the courts sided with NTSA.
How the ban came about
NTSA issued its enforcement notice on Wednesday, May 27, 2025, ordering all PSV operators across the country to immediately remove graffiti, artistic designs, and tinted windows from their vehicles.
The authority said the decorative modifications obscured mandatory vehicle markings and made it difficult for law enforcement to identify matatus by route or operator.
Operators were given until Wednesday, June 11, 2025, to comply, with non-compliance resulting in vehicle impoundment and suspension of NTSA services, including licence renewals and vehicle inspections.
The matatu industry went to court to block the directive.
The petition, filed by Michael Makubo, argued the ban was unconstitutional, issued without adequate public participation, and a direct threat to matatu culture – a form of urban expression built on elaborate graffiti, customised lighting, and tinted windows that has long defined Kenya’s public transport scene.
On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, the High Court dismissed the petition.
Justice Bahati Mwamuye upheld the NTSA directive as constitutional and grounded in public safety, ruling that “the limitations they impose on constitutional rights are reasonable and justifiable for the compelling public interest of road safety”.
Interim orders protecting some operators from immediate enforcement lapsed on Saturday, May 17, 2026.
Senator Cherargei welcomes Ruto’s move
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei was among the first to publicly welcome the president’s intervention.
Writing on X on Friday, he said: “Thank you, Mr President Ruto, for ordering @NTSA_KENYA to suspend the removal of graffiti in our Public Service vehicles (PSV)/Matatus, which is our unique cultural identity in our country in the transport sector as I had last year in 2025.”
The senator had previously described the NTSA directive as “retrogressive, backward, primitive, and illegal”, saying it undermined freedom of expression through art and consciousness.
He also noted that many young Kenyans depended on the graffiti business to earn a living amid scarce opportunities.
