Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko has suspended a ban on matatus accessing to the Nairobi CBD, owing to the plight of city residents face as they have to walk to reach the CBD.
The ban on matatu to access the CBD came into effect yesterday, in an effort that was geared towards decongesting the city centre, after deliberation by public and stakeholders.
"I have noted with deep concern the plight of Nairobi residents as a result of the ban, and hereby announce that the full implementation of this directive has been suspended with immediate effect." - stated governor Mike Sonko
The governor noted that the move is meant to allow further consultation with all affected parties, so as to come up with a lasting solution to the problem of vehicular congestion.
At the same time, Sonko noted that while the directive was well intended, he felt sorry and unfortunate for those affected including many innocent commuters, senior citizens and those with health challenges, as they were inconvenienced by the ban.
"I have met this morning with the affected PSV operators with a view to agreeing on an acceptable solution that has a less negative implication on all affected," added Governor,
In addition, Mike Sonko noted that traffic congestion has negatively affected all businesses in the country, leading to lose in revenue and affected economic growth.
He urged all stakeholders to be proactive in resolving the endemic traffic snarl-up. and come up with a solution.
"The time to address this monster is now. We cannot procrastinate. We cannot lose any more time. We cannot prevent to be moving forward when every day, we are stuck in traffic jams for hours. This is what my government seeks a solution for." - urged Sonko