Matatu crews call off strike as Raila steps in

It was the end of the road for these youths suspected to have burnt a matatu at Shanzu, Mombasa, on Tuesday. They were arrested after the attack on the vehicle, whose owners defied the strike called by matatu owners and started ferrying passengers. Photo/Gideon Maundu

What you need to know:

  • Relief for commuters but police say checks on vehicles breaking rules will continue

Matatu crews on Tuesday called off their strike, ending two days of suffering for stranded commuters across the country.

The strike ended after representatives of the matatu group met Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who promised to look into their grievances.

The matatus timed their strike to coincide with the busiest travel season when students are going back to school and thousands returning from the holidays.

Police harassment

The Matatu Welfare Association, representing the generally chaotic matatu sector, said they were protesting against harassment by police. They accused officers of shaking them down for bribes.

President Kibaki had, in his Jamhuri Day address, ordered the law to be enforced on the roads to save lives during and after the holidays.

Police maintained that they were merely enforcing traffic safety laws and that their operations would continue, the protests notwithstanding. The matatu men went to see Mr Odinga after their attempts to strike a deal with Internal Security minister George Saitoti hit a wall.

But Mr Odinga was headed to Narok and the matatu delegation was attended to by assistant minister Alfred Khang’ati.

MWA chairman Dickson Mbugua called off the strike saying Mr Odinga had promised to handle issues which had prompted drivers and touts to abandon matatus even against the wishes of the owners.

Matatu crews listed police harassment, heightened soliciting of bribes by traffic police officers, discrimination in accessibility to central areas of towns, favouritism in application of transport regulations and selective arrests as some of their grievances.

The government, however, is of the opinion that the multi-billion industry has become a rogue sector, which breaks the law with impunity.

Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said on Tuesday: “We hope they used that break to fix their vehicles. To fix them with speed governors and seatbelts, as well as to kit the crews with uniform because the law enforcement will not budge an inch.”

He also welcomed the decision to call off the strike, terming it good riddance.

Lawlessness

Prof Saitoti, who spoke in Nakuru, was also categorical that the government would not give in to demands by the matatu operators. He said the government’s position was a deliberate step to crack down on the lawlessness in the sector, end impunity and restore safety on the roads.

The strike was not a solution to the problems facing the sector, which can only be dealt with through the joint effort of the government and transport stakeholders, he said.

“This will be the best and honest way to unravel this quagmire, which has inconvenienced the common mwananchi and affected businesses,” the minister said.

The strike, which was called by MWA, and opposed by Matatu Owners Association (MOA), paralysed transport in many towns in the country on Monday and to a large extent, yesterday. Many commuters walked to work and back home.

On Tuesday, Mr Khang’ati, speaking on behalf of Mr Odinga, said the strike had affected Kenyans negatively.

“The issues raised by the matatu operators are also of concern to this ministry. If addressed, the government will have made a big step towards restoring sanity in the PSV sector,” he said.

“The roadblocks should also be reduced as some officers take advantage of them to obtain bribes. These bribes cut into the profit margin,” he said.

Mr Mbugua urged operators to resume duty immediately to ease the transport crisis. Matatus which cover long distances should be back on the road Wednesday, he added.

He put the loss suffered by the industry in terms of income at Sh720 million in two days while oil companies lost between Sh135 million and Sh150 million. Operators, he said, had saved at least Sh4.5 million in police bribes.

Mr Mbugua claimed 70 per cent of matatus on the road had complied with traffic rules and regulations.

The other 30 per cent, he added, belong to senior civil servants and police officers and flout road regulations due to guarantee of protection.

“We are not against the Michuki rules. These matatus give the rest of the sector a bad image as they are protected by their owners, therefore breaking the regulations,” he said.

In 2004, matatus and other PSVs were forced to instal safety belts, stop overloading and have speed limiters.

There was compliance and a drop in road deaths. Police now say that matatus have gone back to speeding, tampering with speed governors and some do not have safety belts.

The matatus countered that the police were using the regulations to extort bribes.

“The police have seen this as a chance to harvest from the matatus,” the officials said.

“The City Council and other security law enforcers are notorious for harassing uniformed drivers and conductors purely for extortion and this discourages safety compliance,” Mr Mbugua said.

An earlier meeting with Prof Saitoti and assistant minister Orwa Ojodeh at Harambee, Mr Mbugua said matatus opt to bribe the police to escape bigger fines imposed by courts.

“We know the commissioner of police Mathew Iteere can eradicate corruption in the force only if he is willing to,” Mr Mbugua asserted.

Prof Saitoti declared readiness to negotiate with the operators and matatu owners to find a lasting solution. He said he had directed Mr Iteere to convene the meeting.

Additional reports by Francis Mureithi and Eddy Ngeta