Kahawa West Matatus Block Roads In Protest of Super Metro Entry

Drama ensued on Tuesday, April 18 after matatus plying the Nairobi Central Business (CBD) to Kahawa West route blocked the Roysambu roundabout in protest of the entry of Super Metro along the route.

The Public Service Vehicles (PSV) belonging to Zuri Genesis, Nazigi Sacco and other matatu saccos paralysed operations along the Roysambu road as well as the Kahawa West roundabout and had no passengers being picked up or dropped off at the designated stages.

The standoff led to an increase in traffic during rush hour as passengers sought alternatives to get to their workplaces on time.

Collage of matatus blocking the Kahawa West roundabout stage, Nairobi on April 18, 2023. /FACEBOOK.TALK

Videos shared online showed several passengers stranded and looking on as the matatus remained barricaded along the major roads.

Police officers later moved in to resolve the situation following the protests which saw other matatu saccos resist Super Metro's expansion to Kahawa West in fear of competition.

The standoff came after Super Metro announced that it had begun its services from Nairobi Central Business (CBD) to Kahawa West after launching its new fleet of buses.

In addition, Super Metro offered free rides to its customers living in Mirema, Zimmerman and Githurai 44 among others from morning to evening on Monday, April 17 as a means of celebrating its entry to the route.

"Today we officially commenced our services in Kahawa West. As a way of thanking you, the Kahawa West fraternity, we are offering you free rides to and fro.

"Kindly note that we have more than 100 new fleet that we shall distribute in all our different routes. Our main aim is to serve you our esteemed clients better and better," Super Metro stated in part.

The Sacco has been rapidly expanding across the Nairobi Metropolitan and reaching out to customers living in various satellite towns by tapping into key routes to stamp its authority in the industry.

In addition, its affordable fares compared to other matatu saccos and professionalism, especially among its conductors have made Super Metro a fan favourite amongst Nairobi commuters.

The Sacco was well known for operating the Kikuyu Route 105 and along Thika road (Juja 236 to Makongeni 237) routes before it expanded quickly to other routes to meet customer demand.

The matatu operator, however, faced resistance when it launched its Ngong – Nairobi CBD service on February 10, 2021, with established rival Saccos suspending their operations in protest of the cheaper rates Super Metro is charging.

As a result, hundreds of commuters were stranded along Ngong Road from Karen, as they welcomed the new Sacco. 

The operators complained about the entry of the vehicles which were well-known among users of the Nairobi-Kikuyu and Nairobi-Thika routes before the expansion.