Thirteen matatu saccos have secured temporary relief after the High Court barred Governor Sakaja’s administration and the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) from evicting them from operating at petrol stations in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
Justice Chacha Mwita directed that, pending the hearing of their constitutional petition, the matatu operators should continue with their operations.
He further ordered that the petitioners serve their petitions upon the Attorney General and EPRA, with the matter scheduled to be heard interparties on 1st December 2025.
The saccos, represented by lawyers Danstan Omari and Stanley Kinyanjui, argued in court that their clients have been operating in the CBD for many years.
They contended that EPRA cannot simply issue eviction orders without providing an alternative location for them to operate from.
“Our clients have invested heavily in operations within the CBD over the years. EPRA cannot wake up one day and order them out without giving them a destination to continue their services,” said Omari.
Through the petition, the operators sought to stop EPRA and Nairobi City County from enforcing a ban on picking and dropping passengers at petrol stations.
They argued that the directives, if enforced, would cripple their operations and disrupt vital public transport services, especially during the peak festive season.
The petitioners who include ENA Coach, Easy Coach, Mololine, North Rift, GTS Supreme Sacco, Nenus Shuttle, Transline Classic, Prestige Limited, Kangema Sacco, and Super Premium T&T described the sudden orders as abrupt, procedurally flawed, and economically damaging.
They also questioned why Nairobi commuters are being singled out, noting that similar services in other parts of the country continue unhindered.
In court, the operators highlighted that EPRA’s shutdown order had thrown the matatu industry into confusion, threatening the livelihoods of thousands who rely on these stations as critical pick-up and drop-off points.
