13 Nairobi Matatu SACCOs Threaten Strike in Escalating Dispute With EPRA Over Petrol Station Terminals
A major transport disruption is looming in Nairobi after 13 matatu operators issued a warning that they may halt services over what they describe as persistent harassment by both the Nairobi County Government and the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
The associations, representing several leading matatu SACCOs, on Monday, November 17, filed an urgent application at the High Court seeking to block EPRA from enforcing a new directive prohibiting public service vehicles from picking up or dropping off passengers at petrol stations within the Nairobi Central Business District.
In their petition, the operators argued that the move was “malicious and punitive,” insisting it would severely disrupt public transport in the capital. They claimed the order was issued abruptly and without consultation, putting thousands of employees and dependants at risk of losing their livelihoods.
Speaking outside the Milimani Law Courts, one SACCO director said the latest directive mirrored past attempts to restrict operators, noting that they had previously been taken to court by two separate entities over a similar matter.
“EPRA has written to us, jointly with the Nairobi County Government, demanding that we vacate all petrol stations,” the director said. “We have contributed immensely to the nation’s economy, and yet we are being pushed out as if we are the only ones operating at fuel stations. This ban is excessively punitive.”
He added that the directive fails to consider the realities faced by many Nairobi commuters.
“We transport a lot of people every day — including the sick, the elderly and the frail. How do you tell someone in that condition to walk long distances to a bus terminus?” he posed.
The SACCOs further told the court that there was no evidence to show that matatu operations within petrol stations had posed a threat to public safety. They argued that the ban unfairly targeted them, despite similar practices occurring across the country.
Representing the operators, lawyers Danstan Omari and Stanley Kinyanjui urged the court to urgently issue conservatory orders, warning that the petition would become ineffective if action was delayed.
“We are requesting the court to prioritise this matter,” Omari said during a press briefing. “Our clients are being singled out for practices that are commonplace nationwide. Unless the court intervenes promptly, public transport in Nairobi will be thrown into chaos.”
The dispute comes amid renewed pressure from the Nairobi County Government to relocate all matatu operators to the newly upgraded Greenpark Terminus, situated near the Haile Selassie–Uhuru Highway roundabout. The terminus, developed as part of a broader urban mobility plan, was intended to decongest the CBD by redirecting matatus to designated hubs outside the city centre.
Despite infrastructure improvements at Greenpark — including the construction of an underpass and expanded boarding areas — many SACCOs have remained resistant, arguing that the terminus is too far from the CBD and would inconvenience passengers.
The matter is expected to be heard in the coming days, with operators warning that a city-wide transport crisis could unfold if their concerns are not addressed.
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13 Nairobi Matatu SACCOs Threaten Strike in Escalating Dispute With EPRA Over Petrol Station Terminals