Thirteen matatu SACCOs in Nairobi have approached the High Court to challenge a ban by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) on using petrol stations for passenger pickups and drop-offs in the city centre. The operators warn of a potential transport crisis and economic fallout if the directive is enforced. They argue the move is punitive and impractical for public transport users.
A transport crisis is brewing in Nairobi as 13 matatu companies threaten to down tools amid a dispute with the Nairobi County government and the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA). On Monday, November 17, 2025, the SACCOs filed an urgent petition at the High Court seeking orders to halt EPRA's enforcement of a ban on picking up and dropping off passengers at petrol stations within the Nairobi CBD.
The operators described the directive as malicious, claiming it would cripple their operations and disrupt public transport services across the city. They highlighted the potential adverse economic ramifications for employees dependent on the industry. Speaking outside the court, a director from one of the SACCOs expressed frustration, stating, "EPRA has written to us in collaboration with the Nairobi county government to take us off petrol stations. We have contributed so much to the nation at large, so this ban is punitive since it is not only matatus which operate at fuel stations."
He further urged, "We urge the county government to show us the way because we cannot continue like this. We transport a lot of people, including the sick and frail. How do you tell them to walk all the way to a bus terminus?" The SACCOs argued there is no record of public safety incidents involving PSV operations at Nairobi petrol stations and questioned why matatus are being singled out when the practice is common nationwide.
Represented by lawyers Danstan Omari and Stanley Kinyanjui, the petitioners pressed the court to prioritize the matter and issue conservatory orders promptly, warning that delays could render the petition ineffective. The conflict stems from pressure by the Nairobi County government to relocate operations to the Greenpark Terminus, adjacent to the Haile Selassie–Uhuru Highway roundabout. Designed to decongest the CBD with new infrastructure like an underpass, the terminus remains contentious due to its distance from the city centre, fueling ongoing disputes between authorities and matatu owners.