Transport in and out of Nairobi’s central business district was thrown into chaos for the better part of Thursday as matatu operators blocked major roads in Kenya's capital in protest of the county's decision to dish out their termini to hawkers.
The standoff, which began early in the morning, saw frustrated passengers scrambling for alternative means of transport —or simply resigning themselves to hours of waiting.
The disruption brought sections of the city to a standstill, and in the ensuing fracas, at least one tout was injured.
"We’ve been stuck here since 9am," said Eliud Macharia, a commuter caught in the gridlock. "I had to call my supervisor to explain that I might not make it to the office. It’s frustrating."
The protest stemmed from Governor Johnson Sakaja’s decision to relocate street vendors from the uptown areas to the backstreets —directly into spaces traditionally used by matatus for picking up and dropping off passengers.
Mr Albert Karakacha, the chairperson of the Matatu Owners Association, told Nation that the operators were simply fighting for their right to work.
“There was a crisis within the CBD because of the parking of matatus. And the problem was because the hawkers were trying to invade the parking for matatus,” Karakacha said.
In the tunes of thousands, sometimes about half a million, the saccos pay up for these spaces.
“We normally pay parking fees every month. We call it seasonal parking. All saccos do pay," he explained.
Operators from KMO, Zuri, and MSL saccos were among those affected by the county government’s decision.
A matatu driver, who spoke on condition of anonymity fearing possible reprisals, insisted they had no choice but to take action. "We've been here since this morning. We won't move until the county government listens to us."
A termini official echoed these sentiments, claiming that hawkers had taken over the space at dawn without prior notice.
"They blocked matatus from accessing the space, and there was no notice," he lamented.
By midday, Nairobi CBD remained at a standstill —commuters frustrated, operators defiant, and no immediate solution in sight. However, as tensions simmered, a temporary truce was brokered.
Nairobi County Chief Officer of Mobility Machel Waikenda later confirmed that a meeting with representatives from both sides had helped ease tensions.
“We have agreed with representatives from both sides to co-exist. Relocating hawkers to the backstreets does not mean matatus should vacate. Both parties must collaborate to ensure order for the betterment of the city,” Waikenda said.
For now, a fragile peace holds. But with both sides standing their ground, the battle over Nairobi’s contested spaces appears far from over.
