NTSA Impounds Matatus Linked To George Ruto
The matatu the individuals were on top of was being driven fast, bypassing traffic and almost colliding with an oncoming lorry.
Marvin Chege 
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) on Thursday, January 9 took action on two matatus branded 'Moneyfest', hours after a viral video showed them being driven recklessly and endangering their passengers.
The video widely shared on Wednesday, January 7 showed the 'nganyas' plying the Nairobi-Ongata Rongai route flouting a series of traffic regulations, being driven recklessly with individuals riding on top of one of them.
The matatu the individuals were on top of was being driven fast, bypassing traffic and almost colliding with an oncoming lorry.
Undeterred, the matatu driver kept going, bullying motorists in the middle of a traffic jam while hooting rather loudly, amidst the excitement of its occupants.
When William Ruto's son George Matatu kill passengers and maim others on Langata - Rongai route in 2025, what will you say, @ntsa_kenya? What will police Chief say, @NPSC_KE? That the law doesn't apply to George and this road hog? Are you afraid of William Ruto and his son? pic.twitter.com/lmiqETxAoL — Saddique Shaban (@SaddiqueShaban) January 9, 2025
In a separate video, one of the rogue matatus which appeared to be overloaded, almost crashed into a Mercedes Benz while trying to overlap along the busy Magadi Road.
The videos went viral with Kenyans expressing frustration and concern over the potential dangers rogue PSVs posed to the public.
"When William Ruto's son George Matatu kills passengers and maims others on the Langata-Rongai route in 2025, what will you say, NTSA?
"What will the police Chief say? That the law doesn't apply to George and this road hog? Are you afraid of William Ruto and his son?" Saddique Shaban, a journalist, revealed on X.
NTSA issued an update clarifying that the two vehicles in the viral videos were impounded. They are linked to George Ruto, President William Ruto's son.
"We thank you for bringing this to our attention. The two PSVs are at the Police Station for processing and further action," NTSA responded to Saddique.
One of the matatus in question, popularly known as 'Moneyfest', first went viral in August 2024 after reports that it belonged to the kin of a senior government official.
Since it hit the Kenyan market, there have been numerous complaints about the matatu's conduct, with Rongai residents going on record lamenting about traffic officers' failure to bring the driver and owner to book.
"These vehicles are untouchable. The drives have more influence than traffic officers," one resident said in August. Among the regulations the matatu has been accused of include skipping stage lines, bearing no Sacco names, picking and dropping passengers anywhere among others.
NTSA taking action on rogue matatus is nothing new. Similar action was taken against the owner, driver and conductor of the rogue matatu which was captured on video in December 2024 swerving recklessly. The owner was arrested alongside the driver and the conductor of the matatu and were all charged after the video clip went viral on December 23, 2024.
The authority in its update on Friday, December 27, 2024, broke down the fines imposed on the involved parties, with the driver hit with the heaviest sanctions. The driver was fined Ksh120,000 and had his license suspended for one year.
The authority added that the vehicle's owner was fined Ksh20,000, while the conductor, who is the owner's son, received a fine of Ksh12,000.
