The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has suspended a matatu driver and removed the conductor from duty after a viral clip captured the crew driving recklessly, with the conductor shoving a young woman towards a roadside ditch.
The December 31, 2025, incident unfolded near Riruta Satellite Primary School along the Kabiria route and involved a Raj SACCO matatu, registration KDV 368F. The footage triggered widespread public backlash online.
The clip, circulated on X and tagged to NTSA, shows the conductor hanging off the door before pushing a pedestrian as the vehicle sped along the road shoulder.
Seconds later, the driver slammed the brakes, forcing a car behind the matatu to brake hard to avoid a collision.
Driver of the Raj SACCO matatu doing a retest. /NTSA
Online reactions were split. Some users blamed the conductor for dangling from the doors and the driver for swerving onto the shoulder, putting passengers and other road users at risk.
Others went after the person who shared the video, dismissing the clip as petty and arguing the woman was at fault for walking on the road shoulder carelessly.
Following a review of the footage and investigations, NTSA confirmed disciplinary action against both crew members. The Sacco disengaged the driver and conductor, while the driver’s licence was suspended after he failed a retest.
NTSA also urged the public to keep reporting reckless driving, asking for details such as vehicle registration number, location, date, and time to support enforcement.
“Both the driver and the conductor have been disengaged by the Sacco. The Driver’s DL has also been suspended after he failed a retest,” NTSA said.
The conduct of matatu crews has been placed under sharp scrutiny in recent weeks, and NTSA has been called upon more often to deal with numerous indiscipline cases in the matatu sector, most of which have been filmed and shared on social media platforms.
Kenya’s public transport system has long operated in a chaotic and unsafe environment, leaving passengers vulnerable to mistreatment and exploitation by operators.
Incidents of passengers being attacked by matatu conductors and touts have been rampant, and on numerous occasions, have led to fatalities.
Repeated incidents of harassment, abuse, and sexual violence underscore how deeply entrenched the problem is and highlight the need for clear guidelines to protect commuters.
Most of the cases have involved operators of ‘nganyas‘, high-end, flashy, and heavily customized matatus, which are adorned with graffiti art, neon lights, sound systems, flat-screen televisions, and portraits of celebrities, among others.
