Most Kenyans cant tell you why the Nairobi county government has banned matatus from accessing the CBD but they can tell you with evidence that the matatu industry is rot with cartels and gangs.
Although matatu cartels are far from being weakened , the Fred Matiang’i-led ministry and the Nairobi county governmaent seems to have a well laid plan to have matatus stop at designated points and thus monitor gangs known to extort money from vehicle owners.
The Fred Matiang’i-led ministry is in the process to get rid of the multi-billion-shilling cartel that for many years seems not to stop at nothing but extortion.
The Matatu owners in Nairobi had vowed to defy Governor Mike Sonko’s ban on PSVs entering Nairobi central business district and had declared that the vehicles would dock at their usual termini come Monday arguing that the county government’s proposed termini do not have the capacity to hold the 16,000 PSVs estimated to be operating in Nairobi daily.
However to their surprise, the Matatus were met with more than 300 police officers pooled to help county marshals enforce the ban on Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) accessing the city centre, the officers were deployed at various entry points and instructed not to allow any matatu beyond the designated areas.
Mungiki back in many Nairobi roads. Here they are in Eastleigh. 250 per Matatu per day and 50 every trip pic.twitter.com/ZZKHkUAheQ
— Robert ALAI, HSC (@RobertAlai) August 15, 2015
Their commanders said the deployments were done by 5am with the personnel ensuring no PSV drove into the Central Business District. County personnel were too asked to patrol the city and clamp any PSV that was there. More than 30 vehicles were clamped and fined.
Nairobi police boss Joseph Ole Tito said they were asked to reinforce in the operation that came to effect yesterday. The ban had been postponed from past dates to allow more preparedness. “They knew and had been alerted by the relevant authorities on the plans. We are there to reinforce the county officials in effecting the law,” said Tito. 
Apart from improved efficiency, Matiang’i has promised a multi-agency team to be revealed in weeks. Matiang’i had attended a meeting at the National Transport and Safety Authority offices on Thursday.
The agency, which involves the National Intelligence Service, will play a leading role in clearing the city of cartels such as Mungiki, who control the criminals, with rogue officers turning a blind eye. The NIS will be tasked with nabbing the networks and cartels who have contributed to passengers’ suffering in the operation described as “ruthless and painful”.
Nairobi police boss Joseph Ole Tito said more officers will patrol places where muggers may strike to ensure security. He added they had called on the county to help in controlling major footbridges that were jammed with pedestrians following the ban on the vehicles from accessing the city. “Those who flout the rules know the repercussions. Let them know that,” he said in reference to claims some matatus may sneak into the CBD. The ban on PSVs from accessing the city centre took effect yesterday morning with dozens of police and county askaris being deployed at major entry points.
This saw many commuters who were dropped far away from the city centre especially on Thika Road. Matatu operators had asked for more time to provide enough space to hold all vehicles operating in the city. The ban compels all matatus to operate from designated termini without entering the Central Business District to pick and drop off passengers.
City Hall officials say that the provided termini – which have 505 parking slots – will only act as pick-up and dropping points for passengers and not holding grounds for the matatus with each PSV given between 10 and 40 minutes at a time.
The operators threatened to seek a legal redress if the county does not listen to them and suspend the ban setting up stage for a chaotic capital city even as the county maintain that there is no going back on the order. Many commuters were seen walking to and from the termini in the morning hours. They fear things will get worse when it rains. The ban is part of plans by the county government to address congestion in the CBD.