Passengers stranded as Nyeri PSV operators strike

Nyeri matatu operators plying various routes withheld their services for the better part of Thursday, protesting an order from the county government to relocate them from Nyeri town's Central Business District (CBD).

The operators withdrew their vehicles from the town's three key termini and pitched tent outside Governor Mutahi Kahiga's office, where they protested against the move.

Mr Kahiga's administration wants to relocate Public Service Vehicles (PSV) operators and traders from the CBD to the ultramodern Field Marshal Muthoni Kirima bus park, located about 1.5 kilometres away.

The devolved unit, through a letter dated November 13 and addressed to the PSV operators, stated that the group would not be allowed to offer their transport services within the CBD from November 14.

"Following the meeting held on November 13, 2024, on subject matter among the county government, national security team and matatu secretariat, all PSV operators are hereby authorized to move and relocate to their operations to the new bus terminus on November 14, 2024," read the letter signed by County Transport Executive Abdi Hussein.

"By this order, no PSV/Sienta group shall be allowed to operate either in or old termini nor along the road/street in Nyeri town Central Business area," it continued.

The operators staged protest at the county government's gate as their Sacco leaders were engaged in talks with governor Kahiga for the better part of the day.

Mr Kahiga wants the Sh600 million facility, which includes a bus terminus and an Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) market, be occupied so as to ease congestion at the bustling Nyeri town.

Nyeri Town MP Maina Mathenge has vehemently opposed the move, arguing that it will jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of traders and PSV operators who rely on the CBD for their income.

Speaking to a crowd of matatu operators and traders in Nyeri on Monday, Mathenge insisted that the relocation plan was unacceptable.

"I want to tell you, Mutahi Kahiga, that we are going nowhere. Let the worst happen, but we will not move out of the CBD to Asian Quarters. As residents of this town, we are the majority, and we will not allow anyone to satisfy their personal agenda at our expense," Mathenge said.

The MP, a close ally of President Ruto, emphasized the importance of the CBD to the town’s economy.

"We have thousands of families who depend on this town to earn a living. Parts of this town would be dead without economic activities, and our hardworking businessmen and businesswomen have been striving to revive it. This town can accommodate all of us," Mathenge added.

In a quick response, Governor Kahiga's Executive for Lands, Physical Planning, Housing, and Urban Development, Mr Ndirangu Gachunia, accused the MP of failing to engage with the relocation process during the public participation phase.

Mr Gachunia stressed that extensive consultations had already taken place with stakeholders, who had given their approval for the plan.

"Our Nyeri Town MP is raising this issue at the tail end of a process that has already undergone several rounds of public participation," Mr Gachunia told the media at his office in Nyeri town.

"Elected leaders should read the available documents and have written to us with their concerns during the planning phase. This is a project whose time has come and must be implemented."

The county executive emphasized that the aim of the project is to address the growing congestion in Nyeri town.

"If you walk through the town in the evening, you can hardly move because of traffic. We are planning another meeting with the transport sector, and I am confident we will reach an amicable agreement, as we have done in the past," Mr Gachunia said.

The new plan also includes restrictions on hawking, with designated areas for street vendors.

"We will limit hawking to specific streets and have already started engaging the hawkers. We cannot allow hawkers on every street, but we will allocate designated sections with proper lighting to promote a 24-hour economy," he added.

The Field Marshal Muthoni Kirima bus park, previously the Asian Quarters dumpsite, began its transformation in 2019 and was completed in 2021.

Funded by the World Bank under the Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP), the park is part of a broader initiative to improve physical infrastructure and promote urban growth.

The facility boasts 240 bays for matatus, taxis, buses, and tuk-tuks, 51 lorry bays, 94 passenger waiting bays, 40 parking bays, and 98 booking offices.

Additionally, it features 600 business stalls, five sanitation blocks, water tanks, and a modern solid waste management system.