Matatu operators say they are not backing down.

Public transport owners have announced they will return to the streets every Monday, starting February 9, unless President William Ruto agrees to meet them over rising insecurity on Kenyan roads.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Matatu Owners Association president Albert Karagacha said the operators felt ignored despite repeated appeals to the government. He blamed growing violence linked to boda boda riders and what he described as weak enforcement by police.

“We will be back on the streets on Monday,” Karagacha said. “We want to apologise to our passengers, but we are fighting for your safety too. When a vehicle is burnt with passengers inside, lives are lost.”

Karagacha said the protests would continue weekly until there was direct engagement with the President.

“We want to talk to the President himself. If there are no talks, the strike will happen every Monday,” he added.

The operators argue that talks at the highest level are needed to agree on security measures that protect drivers, passengers and vehicles. They say matatus have increasingly become targets after road incidents involving boda boda riders or pedestrians.

The latest strike, announced on January 28, led to widespread disruption on Monday. Matatus blocked major routes including Thika Super Highway, Waiyaki Way and roads in Nairobi’s central business district. Commuters were left stranded for hours.

Police were deployed to clear the roads. Officers removed number plates and towed vehicles accused of blocking traffic.

Some matatu owners accused police of acting swiftly against protesters while failing to pursue those responsible for torching vehicles.

“They are detaining our drivers and vehicles, yet no one is arrested when matatus are burnt,” one operator said. “Today we count 70 per cent success. This is just the beginning.”

The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) backed the matatu operators, saying the violence had reached alarming levels. In a statement, the association said at least nine vehicles — including matatus, buses, trucks and private cars — had been burnt in recent weeks.

“These acts wipe out millions of shillings in minutes and put innocent passengers and bystanders in danger,” MAK said, citing incidents in Juja, Luanda in Vihiga County and along Thika Superhighway.

However, the sector remains divided. The Federation of Public Transport Sector said earlier that the strike had been called off, saying it was open to talks with government agencies. That position was at odds with MAK and the Matatu Owners Association, who insist protests will go on.

The government has not yet issued a formal response to the renewed threat of weekly strikes.

For now, commuters are bracing for more disruption as operators dig in, betting that sustained pressure will force talks they say are long overdue.