Nairobi commuters trek to CBD as Sonko’s ban takes effect – PHOTOS
Morning commuters were on Monday morning forced to walk to the city centre after Governor Mike Sonko’s ban on matatus from picking up and dropping off passengers in the CBD took effect.
The ban took effect as early as 4.50am, with police and county traffic marshals blocking matatus from entering the city centre.
The armed security officers, some in full combat gear, were deployed to designated termini (outside CBD) that the Sonko administration directed matatus to operate from starting today.
The traffic marshals with clubs and police with guns and batons mounted roadblocks at the termini, including Muthurwa, Muranga Road Fig Tree A, Desai Road, Ngara Road, Hakati, Railways and Central Bus Station.
Their orders to matatu operators were swift and firm: Stop! Do not drive beyond this point.
The officers stopped and directed matatus seeking to enter the city centre to either make U turns or take the possible route back.
At the City Stadium roundabout, police parked their Toyota Land cruisers to block a section of the CBD-bound traffic and all PSVs plying Jogoo Road had to drop off passengers at the Muthurwa terminus.
The situation was similar along Thika and Limuru roads, where majority of passengers disembarked at the Fig Tree Terminus A in Ngara as matatus.
In the city centre, most matatu termini, which are usually busy during the morning hours, were deserted.
There were no matatus and virtually no activity at Koja, Odeon, Kencom, GPO, OTC, Commercial, Ronald Ngala Street, Ambassadeur, Murang’a Road and other bus stops along River Road.