Police moved in across Nairobi’s central business district on Tuesday, impounding several matatus and stripping others of their number plates as authorities sought to restore order during the ongoing nationwide matatu strike.
Officers towed vehicles that had been used to barricade roads to various police stations within the city, effectively grounding them. The removal of number plates a standard enforcement action by traffic police and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) renders the affected vehicles illegal to operate until owners pay hefty fines and comply with the law.
Tensions flared as some operators resisted the crackdown, prompting police to fire tear gas to disperse protesting groups. The matatu crews were demonstrating against what they described as a rising trend of vehicles being torched on highways, incidents they blame on boda boda operators.
The strike and protests paralysed movement on several major routes. Traffic was brought to a standstill along Outering Road near the Kariobangi Roundabout, parts of Tom Mboya Street, and Ronald Ngala Street. Waiyaki Way a critical artery linking the CBD to Uthiru, Kabete, Kinoo, Kikuyu, Nakuru and western Kenya was also blocked, leaving thousands of commuters stranded.
On Thika Superhighway, motorists endured hours-long delays after demonstrators obstructed sections of the road using stones and parked buses, compounding the city’s already heavy traffic congestion.
