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NTSA suspends four matatu operators after deadly crashes
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) inspection yard along Likoni Road in Nairobi.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has suspended four public service vehicle operators following a series of fatal crashes during the festive season, officials said Monday.
The operators affected by the suspension are Monna Comfort Sacco, Greenline Company Limited, Naekana Route 134 Sacco Ltd and Uwezo Coast Shuttle.
In a statement, the authority said that the action had been taken following investigations which revealed widespread non-compliance with safety regulations, including breaches relating to speed control and driver conduct.
NTSA also issued notices to two additional operators, giving them 21 days to meet strict conditions or face licence suspension.
“The Authority shall conduct safety compliance audits on the operators before their licences are reinstated,” said NTSA.
Meanwhile, Guardian Coach Limited and Nanyuki Express Cab Services Ltd have been given 21 days to comply with the required conditions. Failure to do so will result in the suspension of their operating licences.
As an immediate measure, the two companies have been directed to relieve their drivers from work. According to the authority, the measures are aimed at “ensuring the highest standards of passenger safety and road safety compliance.”
Matatu Welfare Association national chairman Dickson Mbugua said the suspension of Sacco’s is not appropriate at this time.
“Why is it that NTSA only comes out during Easter or Christmas? The authority should be doing this monthly and not only during the holidays,” he said.
Code of conduct
He added that to reduce the number of casualties, the government should convene a national road safety conference, bringing together all the industry's stakeholders to discuss why the numbers keep rising every year.
“If we convene, we can find a way to sensitise our drivers and empower them on what it entails for a Sacco to operate. Most of these Saccos, I can say 90 percent of them, do not have a code of conduct, and it should be implemented,” he added.
According to NTSA, Guardian Coach Limited was involved in a crash on January 6, 2026, along the Nairobi–Naivasha Road at Kimende.
NTSA has ordered the company to present 24 vehicles with various violations to their respective speed limiter vendors for functionality checks. The same vehicles must also undergo compliance inspections at Likoni Motor Vehicle Inspection Centre, with reports submitted to the Authority.
In addition, NTSA cancelled the PSV endorsement classes of 18 drivers implicated in speed violations and suspended their driving licences for 90 days.
The drivers will be required to retake driving tests after the suspension period. The company has been instructed to immediately disengage the 18 drivers from all driving duties.
NTSA has given Guardian Coach Limited 21 days to comply with the directives, warning that failure to do so will result in suspension of its operating licence.
Similarly, Nanyuki Express Cab Services Ltd was involved in a fatal crash on January 4, 2026, along the Nakuru–Nairobi Highway at Karai. The company must present 128 vehicles for speed limiter checks and compliance inspection at Nyeri Motor Vehicle Inspection Centre, submitting all reports to NTSA.
The PSV endorsements of 26 drivers involved in speed violations have been cancelled, with licences suspended for 90 days. The drivers must be immediately disengaged from all driving duties, and the operator has 21 days to comply or face licence suspension.
Meanwhile, Monna Comfort Sacco faced NTSA action following a fatal crash on December 23, 2025, along the Eldoret–Webuye Road at Muhonje. The Sacco’s operations have been suspended. All 19 vehicles with violations are to undergo functionality checks at speed limiter vendors and compliance inspection at Nakuru Motor Vehicle Inspection Centre, with reports submitted to NTSA.
These centres are expected to provide support for dispatch, passenger handling, resolving complaints and reporting incidents. Operators must also submit a list of licensed routes and the vehicles assigned to each one.
The NTSA has directed that all drivers undergo sensitisation training, and that operators submit reports, photographs, meeting minutes and attendance lists to the Authority as proof of compliance. This underscores the NTSA's firm stance on improving safety standards across the public transport sector.
Several drivers caught on camera driving dangerously along major highways have all failed a retest by NTSA, highlighting ongoing concerns over road safety in Kenya.
Last week, NTSA confirmed that most of the drivers had not met the required standards during the retest. They were all ordered to enrol in a licensed driving school for further training before he can take another driving test.
But according to Mr Mbugua, “that is NTSA shooting their own foot”. He called out the Authority for allowing hundreds of driving schools to continue operating across the country without supervision.
“Drivers testing in these schools is compromised. At AA Kenya, a student takes a minimum of 35 lessons, while at the majority of these other schools, one will only take 20 lessons. There is laxity at NTSA,” he said.
NTSA has vowed to continue enforcing strict compliance measures to curb road traffic accidents and ensure public safety on Kenya’s roads.
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