Public service vehicle (PSV) operators have announced a nationwide strike set to begin on Monday, citing a sharp rise in attacks on matatus, allegedly carried out by boda boda riders.
The Matatu Owners Association (MOA), through its chairperson Albert Karakacha, said operators had reached a breaking point after several vehicles were reportedly torched in different parts of the country, with little action taken against those responsible.
Karakacha accused the government of failing to protect PSV operators despite multiple reports made to the police, the Ministry of Transport, and other relevant authorities.
“Our vehicles have been burned. We reported the incidents to the police and wrote to the transport minister, but nothing has been done,” Karakacha said. “From Monday, we will withdraw all vehicles from the roads until the government listens to us.”
He said matatu owners no longer felt secure operating their businesses and had lost confidence in the state’s ability to safeguard private property.
While insisting that operators were not seeking to take the law into their own hands, Karakacha warned that continued inaction by authorities could provoke retaliatory measures.
“The government has failed in its duty to protect us. We will be forced to bring back boys who used to man our businesses because the police cannot protect us,” he said.
The announcement raises concerns over potential disruption of public transport services across the country if the strike goes ahead, with commuters likely to bear the brunt of the standoff unless an agreement is reached.
