“Banning matatus from the CBD is like trying to treat diarrhea by blocking the anus,italipuka!” This was Babu Owino’s tweet on Monday morning, during the day one of the controversial Matatu ban.
The Embakasi East MP summarized everything around the discussion albeit in a very impolite way. There is no way, the ban was going to be effected.
With the ban, governor Mike Sonko had done, what most people in his position cannot even dare to think about, going against the popular opinion.
We both agree that the Nairobi public transport is chaotic, it is mad and needs to be fixed. Sometimes you need a mad person to fix madness. And Sonko was willing to go into the mud and fix that leaking pipe.
Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have the political goodwill. Immediately he announced that the ban will take effect, Senator Johnson Sakaja started making a lot of noise about the topic.
As I said yesterday and before. The move by @MikeSonko to ban matatus from the CBD is premature, and unfair to ordinary citizens. You don’t ban matatus before providing alternatives for commuters. MUST BE RESCINDED immediately and proper planning done. #MatatuCBDBan pic.twitter.com/4SXa8PpTUO
— Sakaja Johnson (@SakajaJohnson) December 3, 2018
The argument from these politicians has been that you can effect the ban, without providing alternatives. Sick people, the physically challenged and the elderly need to move around.
Which is a valid point by the way, considering the hassle that most commuters went through on Monday morning. But the big question that nobody wants to ask, is how many sick people have died on the road due to congestion caused by rowdy matatus?
How many people have been crippled on these roads due to Matatu madness? Looking at this issue critically, You will agree with me that Sonko, would have delivered if only he had the chance.
When announcing the 8% on petroleum products, President Kenyatta said that Kenyans needed to endure with short term pain for the greater gain that is to come in future.
And the pain that pedestrians went through on Monday, would have been for the greater good. If only the whole issue hadn’t been politicized.
But we are now back to square zero, as Sonko has suspended the ban to pave way for consultations. We all know what that means.