Public transport operators have called off a nationwide strike that was scheduled to begin on Monday, February 2, after agreeing to engage in dialogue with government agencies and other players in the transport sector.
In a statement issued over the weekend, the Federation of Public Transport Sector (FPTS) announced that the decision to suspend the strike was reached to allow room for consultations aimed at calming rising tensions within the industry.
According to the federation, the planned talks will bring together a wide range of stakeholders, including matatu operators, private motorists, long-distance coach companies, freight transporters, the National Police Service, and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA). The discussions are expected to focus on critical issues such as road safety, regulatory compliance, and the enforcement of transport laws.
“After engagements involving representatives of PSV operators, boda boda groups, and security agencies, it was agreed that the matatu strike set for Monday, February 2, 2026, be suspended to give dialogue an opportunity,” the federation said in its notice. It added that public transport services would continue operating normally as negotiations progress toward a lasting solution.
The announcement followed a stakeholders’ meeting attended by senior security officials, where Nairobi Regional Police Commander George Sedah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to restoring order on the roads. Sedah warned that disorder undermines public confidence in the state, noting that the country must uphold safety and discipline across all sectors of society.
The planned strike had been announced earlier in the week after #PSV operators raised alarm over a surge in vehicle attacks, including arson incidents, which they said had not been adequately addressed by authorities. On Wednesday, January 28, operators warned that services could be temporarily halted nationwide unless firm action was taken.
Support for the strike had also come from the Motorist Association of Kenya (MAK), which on Saturday, January 31, declared that private vehicle owners, transporters, and truck drivers were prepared to down tools in solidarity with matatu operators.
MAK said the industrial action was driven by the government’s failure to respond to concerns raised during a recent press briefing. The association cited multiple cases in which vehicles – ranging from matatus and buses to trucks and private cars – were set ablaze by mobs following road accidents involving pedestrians or boda boda riders in places such as Juja, Luanda in Vihiga County, and along the Thika Superhighway.
“These incidents have wiped out investments worth millions of shillings, endangered lives, and destroyed livelihoods in a matter of minutes,” the association said, warning that the growing trend of mob justice reflects a troubling erosion of law and order. #Matatu @dunda