By Lilian Katheke
Calm has returned to the Machakos Bus Park after Governor Wavinya Ndeti intervened in a dispute that had prompted matatu operators to boycott the facility over the controversial allocation of parking bays.
The operators suspended the boycott after a meeting with the governor, but warned that they will resume protest action from Tuesday morning if the county government fails to issue a written directive reversing the disputed allocation of two additional parking slots.
The meeting was attended by Governor Ndeti, Lands, Roads and Transport Minister Nathaniel Nganga, CO Roads and Transport Mike Senga, County Secretary Dr Muya Ndambuki, Chief Officer Enforcement Mr Munyambu, and 42 sacco chairpersons, among them Mamoa Chairman Onesmus Kyalo, David Makau aka Musungu, the SG Mamoa, and Boniface Mutunga (Kathi).
During the meeting, matatu operators told the governor that the crisis had been caused by County Executive Committee Member for Roads and Transport Nathaniel Nganga, whom they accused of presiding over an unfair allocation of parking bays.
Nganga has remained quiet despite requests for comment over the matter by The Anchor.
The operators argued that the park has 67 parking slots shared among 45 matatu saccos, making it unacceptable for a single sacco to control 10 bays at the expense of others.
They accused Makos Sacco of seeking to dominate the bus park through what they described as corruption and collusion with county government officials. According to sources, the governor was told at the meeting that an official had pocketed Ksh 500,000 to grant favours to Makos in the region’s busiest bus park.
At the height of the heated meeting, one sacco official alleged that a senior county official had been entertained with drinks worth KSh24,000 to ensure the Sacco retained the disputed parking bays.
The allegation was made in the governor’s presence but was not independently verified. The governor did not pursue the matter either.
After listening to the exchanges, Governor Ndeti asked the operators what they considered the immediate solution to the standoff.
The operators said the first step should be the withdrawal of the two extra parking slots that had recently been allocated to Makos Sacco.
The governor directed Transport CECM Nathaniel Nganga to reverse the allocation.
Following the directive, the operators agreed to call off the boycott and immediately return their vehicles to the bus park.
However, they said the county government has yet to issue the promised written communication implementing the governor’s directive.
The operators warned that unless the letter is released by Tuesday morning, they will resume the boycott on a larger scale.
The protest has already disrupted public transport in Machakos Town, with matatus abandoning the official bus park and picking up and dropping off passengers at undesignated points across the Central Business District, creating congestion and inconvenience for commuters, residents and businesses owners.
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