MAKOS–MAMOA War Paralyses Machakos Transport as Court Orders Solve Nothing
By Martin Masai
A bitter supremacy battle between Makos Savings & Credit Co-operative Society Limited(Makos) and Machakos Matatu Owners Association (MAMOA) haa plunged Machakos town into transport paralysis today, with matatu operators boycotting the main bus park.
This happened amid growing accusations that the County Government of Machakos is openly favouring MAKOS Sacco with subtle accusations of corruption.
The standoff revolves around disputed parking slots L2R 11 and L2R 14 at Machakos Bus Park, allocations that have now triggered a court battle, administrative confusion and escalating tensions among operators.
The slots were taken from Mamoa operators and handed to Makos, a decision that the county reversed after it was accused of operating outside procedure.
Last week, the Machakos Chief Magistrate J.Kituku issued temporary orders protecting MAKOS Sacco from interference after the Sacco moved to court seeking protection over the slots.
But MAMOA hit back with an urgent application accusing MAKOS of obtaining the orders through concealment of material facts that it did not have the slots it was claiming.
Court filings show MAMOA argues that the county government had already suspended the entire slot allocation exercise on April 24 pending stakeholder consultations, meaning the allocations being protected in court were no longer operational.
The association further accuses county officials of fueling confusion by appearing to support MAKOS despite the suspension.
The fallout exploded today after operators abandoned the bus park, leaving commuters stranded and business disrupted across Machakos town.
The latest court directions issued Tuesday declined to extend the interim protection orders and instead directed parties to pursue an amicable settlement within 30 days, resulting in today’s mayhem.
However, rather than calm tensions, the ruling appears to have deepened uncertainty over who controls the disputed slots and who has authority inside the bus park.
Roads and Transport County Executive Committee Member Nathaniel Nganga on told the media today that his office remains open for dialogue between the rival groups.
But his remarks did little to ease anger among operators, especially after a meeting he had convened last week to hear both sides reportedly collapsed after he failed to attend.
Operators now accuse the county government of inconsistency, saying officials are issuing conflicting signals while chaos escalates on the ground.
By Thursday evening, fears were growing that the disruption could spill into a second day Friday, with operators threatening to stay away from the park unless the county government gives a clear and neutral position.
The dispute has rapidly evolved beyond a simple parking-slot disagreement into a broader fight over influence, control of routes and access to the lucrative Machakos transport sector.
With commuters now caught in the middle, pressure is mounting on Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s administration to restore order before the standoff degenerates further.
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