Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko did not consult the Matatu Owners Association as he claimed before banning the vehicles from the CBD, chairman Simon Kimutai said on Monday.
He, said it was wrong for an official of his stature to ‘lie’ that the association was agreeable to the ban.
“It is sad to see that the governor is going round peddling lies that he met us .That is a big lie and this should stop,” Kimutai said.
He said matatu owners knew about the directive when it was published in the dailies.
Matatu Welfare Association chairman Dickson Mbugua said the matatu industry has played an important role in growing the economy and should be respected and involved in discussions and policy-making.
“The county government was not well prepared before it implemented this ban and that is why hundreds of commuters today morning had to walk long distances to their places of work,” Mbugua said.
The matatu owners have, however, said they are open to consultation with the Nairobi government to discuss the way forward.
The owners said dialogueis the way forward, and if this fails, the matatu sector “will be forced to take other action”.
“We have not refused to have a sit down with the county government because we cannot watch our people and Nairobians suffer over a directive which was issued without proper consultation,” Kimutai said.