Stephen Munyiri
18 August 2008
Nairobi — A row over matatu parking bays in Karatina Town paralysed operations this week following a stalemate between the local council and its Nanyuki counterpart.
The row erupted when a Nanyuki-based matatu sacco was allocated passenger picking bays in Karatina Town.
However, three matatu operators in Karatina Town have opposed the move, saying they had been denied licences to operate in Nanyuki Town.
A meeting of stakeholders from Karatina and Nanyuki councils failed to resolve the matter at the weekend.
Sources said two Members of Parliament were also embroiled in the war of attrition, with each supporting a rival side in the simmering dispute.
Divided council
The row has divided Karatina council, with a section of its councillors being accused of secretly allocating loading bays to the Nanyuki-based matatu sacco.
Three matatu firms -- Nyeri Shuttle, 2nk Sacco and Nyakati -- have vehemently opposed the allocation of the bays, saying the move would drive them out of business.
They said they had been denied a similar request for loading bays in Nanyuki Town.
One of the matatu firms has petitioned the council to reverse the decision and vowed to block the Nanyuki-based group from operating from Karatina.
According to the Karatina Town clerk, Mr Joseph Mbugua, the council will suspend the operations of the Nanyuki-based transport firm until the warring parties reach an amicable solution.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
