Saccos Withdraw From Matatu Owners Association For Not Driving Their Agenda
Several matatu associations and saccos have withdrawn their membership from the national umbrella body, Matatu Owners Association (MOA).
The members led by Mr Calvin Nyaure, the chair of Matatus and Sacco Companies, have accused their leaders of taking sides and collaborating with the government in the ongoing Michuki Rules crackdown.
Among those that have withdrawn include Matatu Welfare Association (MWA), Matatu Travellers Vehicles Association (MTVA), Mount Kenya Association (MA), Association of Bus Operators Kenya (ABK) and Association of Matatu Operators (AMO).
“We have decided to denounce our membership to MOA because we feel it has failed to defend us against the harassment that matatu operators in Nairobi have undergone since the crackdown by police officers enforcing Michuki traffic rules began,” said Mr Nyaure.
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The disgruntled members have accused some of the leaders of cooperating with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to swindle them money.
“We can’t sit back and watch us our members suffer because of individual interests of MOA officials, some of whom don’t even own a matatu. We know how they are cooperating with NTSA to swindle us our money, an issue we have raised with anticorruption agencies but nothing is being done,” added Mr Nyaure.
The operators cited increased cases of police harassment in Nairobi and corruption.
“Police are having a different checklist and are arresting our conductors and drivers for very petty mistakes with intention of getting bribes from them. We have complied with the rules fully and our business are legitimate so we don’t understand why the number plates of our vehicles are being confiscated,” said Ms Lucy Wachuka, who is a nominated member of Kajiado County assembly and chair of Serian Sacco.
They also decried government plan to remove 14, 25 and 33-seater matatus from the roads and replacing them with BRT buses.
