The Nairobi County Assembly Select Committee on Delegated County Legislation has conducted a public participation exercise on the proposed regulations for the Nairobi City County Transport Act, 2020.
The legislative framework is aimed at facilitating the full implementation of the Act, which was passed by the Assembly six years ago.
According to the Committee Chairperson, Nasra Nanda, the committee will now review submissions from members of the public before compiling a report on the matter.
“From our review, we have learned a number of things. Firstly, this process has faced challenges because, although these regulations are still in draft form, some of them appear to have already been implemented without our knowledge. Unfortunately, this has led to a number of issues,” she said.
Nanda noted that stakeholders had raised concerns over alleged harassment during enforcement operations.
She faulted County Government Inspectorate officers for allegedly using unofficial or self-created by-laws during enforcement, resulting in the harassment of motorists.
She observed that boda boda riders are among the most affected groups, accusing county officials of imposing NTSA portal entry charges, arbitrary arrests, and impounding motorcycles without proper justification.
“We just want to state clearly that any form of harassment or illegal extraction of money is unacceptable. As an Assembly, we will do our part to ensure that the process going forward reflects the views of stakeholders and protects their interests,” she added.
The committee is expected to continue engaging stakeholders, including representatives from the matatu sector, before finalizing its report and recommendations.
Peter Murima from the Motorists Association of Kenya also raised concerns over widespread harassment and extortion within the transport sector.
“We were invited by the Committee on Delegated Legislation
and submitted our views from all sub-sectors in the transport industry. We have
been victims of harassment and extortion, where illegal money is demanded
through various portals by regulators. This has dealt us a huge blow, and we
are happy the committee is finally addressing it,” Murima said.
