Nairobi News

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City contractors cling to new matatu termini till Sonko pays up debts


Plans by Nairobi County government to decongest the city is set to take longer after contractors renovating five matatu termini declined to hand them over until they are paid their dues.

This revelation is part of a report by the County transport and infrastructure committee that went to inspect the work at the termini located outside the city centre.

“The transport committee recommends that the county government should expedite payments to contractors and take over the various bus termini in order to proceed with the programme of urban decongestion,” the report reads in part.

However, the report did not reveal the amount of money owed to the contractors by City Hall.

The termini in contention are in Nairobi Central, Roysambu and Parklands wards. They are Hakati bus station, Desai Road, Railways bus station, Machakos Country bus station and Pangani bus termini, all of which are complete but the contractors are reluctant to surrender them before they are paid.

SONKO’S PLEDGE

During campaigns last year, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko pledged to renovate old bus termini and build new ones in a bid to solve the incessant traffic snarl-ups suffered by Nairobi residents.

The county had indicated that the completion of the new termini would see more vehicles accommodated in an effort to ease congestion in downtown Nairobi where illegal parking and lawlessness are the order of the day.

According to the vice chairperson of the county transport committee, Mr Mark Mugambi, the rehabilitation of the termini had already been completed with cabro and drainage systems all in place.

Soon after his election, Mr Sonko banned all Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) from the city centre but later suspended the ban to pave the way for negotiations with all players in the industry.

Matatus Owners Association chairman Simon Kimutai had challenged the governor to provide alternative pick-up and drop-off points for PSVs before kicking the vehicles out of the city centre.