Nairobi County issues directives on matatu stage cleaning, hooting

The Nairobi County government has issued guidelines to matatu owners amid concern over activities it says hinder cleaning activities in the city centre.

Geoffrey Mosiria, the Environment County Chief Officer, in a statement on Monday, noted that many matatu stages remain occupied by vehicles during the night, obstructing cleaning activities.

“Additionally, some vehicles are not maintained in a clean state, are abandoned in the open spaces and not managing their waste properly contributing to environmental degradation,” Mosiria said.

Consequently, he directed that all vehicles vacate the stages during designated cleaning hours at night and told matatu owners to maintain the cleanliness of their vehicles and subscribe to a licensed waste service.

“Stop unnecessary hooting and loud music causing a nuisance in the city and remove all abandoned vehicles with immediate effect,” the Chief Officer said.

Mosiria warned that those who flout the guidelines will face “enforcement actions as provided by the law.”

At the same time, the Chief Officer has put hawkers leaving their wares and belongings in the streets and lanes on notice.

“Remove all your belongings by 10:00 PM daily to allow cleaning teams to carry out their work effectively. Failure to comply with this directive your belongings will be treated as a nuisance, and any items left behind will be collected and disposed of without prior notice or consent,” he directed.

The latest directives came just a week after Nairobi County relegated hawkers to the backstreets of the city centre. 

In an order on January 6, 2025, the county government said hawking will run from Monday to Friday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. only within the zone from Tom Mboya Street to Kirinyaga Road as the walkways within the CBD remain only for pedestrian use. 

The hawkers have however threatened to protest the order.