Transport Paralyzed In Major Nairobi Areas As Matatu Operators Conduct A ‘Go Slow’
A heavy blanket of transport paralysis settled over Nairobi on Monday, February 2, 2026, as Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators staged a coordinated “go-slow” that choked the city’s major arteries. Despite last-minute attempts by government officials and a faction of transport lobbies to call off a nationwide strike, thousands of commuters woke up to a city in gridlock. Along Outer Ring Road, matatus were parked horizontally across the lanes near Kariobangi, creating a dead-stop for anyone trying to reach the Eastlands area. On Waiyaki Way and Thika Superhighway, similar scenes unfolded as drivers abandoned their vehicles or drove at a snail’s pace, effectively turning some of Africa’s busiest highways into giant, stagnant parking lots.
The roots of this defiance lie in a growing sense of lawlessness that operators claim has turned the transport sector into a “high-risk, low-protection” investment. The primary grievance fueling this February unrest is the alarming rise in mob justice incidents, specifically the torching of PSVs by boda boda (motorcycle taxi) riders. According to the Matatu Owners Association (MOA), at least nine vehicles have been burned in the last month alone following minor accidents. “We are tired of our multi-million shilling investments being reduced to ashes in minutes while the police stand by and watch,” stated one operator at a protest site. The operators are demanding immediate state compensation for destroyed property and a total crackdown on rogue motorcycle gangs that they say have established “extortion networks” along key transport corridors.
The disruption has been exacerbated by a deep rift within the transport leadership, which left commuters caught in a crossfire of conflicting information. While the Federation of Public Transport Sector (FPTS) issued a late-night notice on Sunday suspending the strike to allow for dialogue with the Ministry of Interior, the Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) and the Inter-Corridor Mobility group insisted the action was “irreversible.” This confusion led to a fragmented but effective paralysis; while some saccos operated, the blockage of roundabouts and major junctions by striking drivers meant that even those willing to work were stuck in the ensuing chaos.
Beyond the immediate commute, the economic toll of the go-slow is staggering. With Nairobi’s transport sector contributing billions to the daily GDP, the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) warned that a single day of such disruption costs the economy upwards of Sh3 billion. As of midday Monday, thousands of workers in the Industrial Area and CBD were reported absent, while freight transport to and from the Port of Mombasa ground to a halt. While high-level meetings between the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and transport lobbies are currently underway to find a “sustainable resolution,” the atmosphere on the ground remains tense. For the average Nairobian, the events of February 2nd are a stark reminder of the city’s fragile dependence on an informal transport network that is currently at war with itself and the state.
