Over 400 commuters and matatu crew charged for flouting COVID-19 rules in Nairobi

By , K24 Digital
On Tue, 3 Aug, 2021 19:04 | 1 min read
The hundreds of traffic offenders being escorted at Milimani Law courts cells by officers. PHOTO/NANCY GITONGA
The hundreds of traffic offenders being escorted at Milimani Law courts cells by officers. PHOTO/NANCY GITONGA

Over 400 commuters and matatu crew were charged with different offences at Milimani Law Courts on Tuesday.

The crew members who had been arrested in the mid-morning hours were found guilty of violating Covid-19 regulations in Public Service vehicles within Nairobi county.

Among those charged included matatu drivers, conductors, businessmen and women and youth who were on their way to school in different colleges in Nairobi.

According to traffic charge sheets filed in court, most of the offenders were those who had violated Covid-19 rules of being excess passengers in a PSV.

Over 20 Matatu crews were charged with carrying passengers in full capacity as well as not having uniforms and work badges.

Surprisingly all the suspects who were arraigned in court none denied the charges levelled against them by the state and pleaded with Milimani magistrate Esther Kimilu to be lenient on them while passing sentences on them.

They were fined different fines ranging from Ksh 500 and Ksh 20,000 each or serve one month or six months in jail.

Speaking to K24 Digital one of the suspects Eric Munene said that he was arrested on Tuesday, August 3, around 11 am while on his way to town from Kilimani area.

According to the government directives issued in April last year, they ordered matatu operators to ensure passenger numbers are restricted to maintain social distancing to minimize the spread of the virus.

The police who escorted the Suspects told K24 Digital in the recent past that the matatu operators have been notorious in violating Presidential and Ministry of Health guidelines.

The officers said that they will continue arresting all those found flaunting the traffic and covid-19 rules in a bid to help the country avoid the projected number of infection cases in the country and especially in Nairobi county.