Matatu industry leaders and youth workers have resolved to fight the government’s renewed crackdown on graffiti covered nganyas through dialogue and the courts, warning that strict enforcement of transport rules risks wiping out jobs in one of Nairobi’s biggest informal economies.
Meeting on Friday in Nairobi, operators, drivers, conductors, and youth representatives rejected a High Court ruling that upheld the National Transport and Safety Authority's directives ordering the removal of graffiti, tinted windows, and other artistic features from public service vehicles.
Their collective demand is for talks with government agencies to review how safety rules are enforced in a sector that employs thousands of young people.
They also confirmed that an appeal has been filed and that conservatory orders remain in place until May 17, temporarily shielding affected matatus from full enforcement as the legal process continues.
They have urged calm among workers as the matter moves to the Court of Appeal, warning against panic or confrontations with enforcement officers.
“We support safety and order in the PSV sector,” Matatu Owners Association lawyer Outa Malela said. “What we oppose is the criminalisation of artistic expression and livelihoods that have grown around this industry.”
Last month, the High Court dismissed a petition challenging NTSA’s Public Service Vehicle Regulations of 2014 and an enforcement notice requiring the immediate removal of graffiti and tints. The court ruled that the regulations were lawful and justified on road safety grounds.
Industry stakeholders say the ruling may be legal, but its impact on workers has been ignored.
Malela said the petition challenged both the constitutionality of the regulations and the way NTSA has enforced them, arguing that the rules were implemented without adequate public participation. He said the association believes the enforcement violates constitutional rights to expression and communication.
Mike Oby next to his artistic work on a matatu at a garage on Lunga Lunga Road, Nairobi on July 24, 2025.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
He warned that a full crackdown would ripple through what has become known as the Nganya ecosystem, a network of drivers, conductors, DJs, graffiti artists, designers and digital content creators who earn a living from matatu culture.
“This sector supports thousands of youths,” he said. “At the stroke of a pen, their livelihoods are at risk.”
For workers on the ground, the fear is immediate.
Samuel Kinyua, a 32-year-old driver who operates on Ngong Road Route 111, said matatu work has been his only source of survival after he failed to complete college due to lack of fees.
“I joined the matatu hustle in 2018, and it is how I survive,” he said. “If this job goes, we have nowhere else to go.”
Kinyua said Nganya routes attract passengers specifically because of their music and design, making them more viable in a crowded transport market. Removing those features, he warned, would push many young drivers back into unemployment.
Tevin Mutua, 32, who has worked as a tout since 2012, said the matatu industry has long acted as a safety net for young people locked out of formal employment.
Tevin Mutua (left), 32, a tout operating along Ngong Route 111, and Samuel Kinyua, 32, a matatu driver operating on the same route at the August 7 Memorial Park in Nairobi on May 8, 2026.
Photo credit: Kimani Mwangi | Nation Media Group
“For many of us, this is the only work we know,” he said. “Now it feels like everything we depend on is being taken away.”
In 2004, then Transport Minister John Michuki introduced strict rules that transformed the industry almost overnight. Speed governors, seat belts, uniforms and clearly marked routes brought order to what had been a chaotic system. Accidents reduced sharply and discipline became visible on the roads.
But over time, enforcement weakened. Corruption returned, inspections became irregular and compliance declined. Out of that collapse emerged Nganya culture, louder, flashier and increasingly detached from regulation.
While never formally legalised, graffiti smeared matatus were widely tolerated and, at times, publicly celebrated. Industry stakeholders point to past signals from state authorities that appeared to recognise matatu artistry as a legitimate form of urban culture.
Malela cited a 2014 moratorium under former President Uhuru Kenyatta that temporarily halted the criminalisation of matatu graffiti. He also pointed to recent national events where artistically customised matatus were showcased and awarded.
“What we are seeing now is a contradiction,” he said. “On one hand, the state celebrates matatu creativity. On the other, it criminalises it.”
Matatu Owners Association chairperson Albert Karakacha said graffiti culture has created jobs for designers, technicians and artists, including some with university training, and should not be dismissed as disorder.
“If we support the youth, we support the nation,” he said, while urging discipline and adherence to traffic rules within the sector.
Stakeholders emerging from the meeting said their immediate ask is inclusive consultation involving NTSA, police, operators, commuters and creatives to find a balance between road safety, order and youth employment.
