NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya’s public transport operators have had enough—and they’ve taken their frustrations straight to Parliament. In a petition that reads like a matatu industry survival plea, operators allege insurance companies are happily pocketing premiums while ghosting them when accidents happen.
On Thursday, the National Assembly’s Public Petitions Committee, chaired by Vihiga MP Kavai Kagesi, convened to hear the grievances.
At the heart of it? A petition filed by Machakos MP Caleb Mule that blasts both the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) and three unnamed insurance firms for failing to protect thousands of matatu owners across the country.
And the numbers are damning. Over 4,000 public service vehicles in Kenya’s Lower Eastern region are entangled in court battles linked to accidents.
Most of them, the petition says, were left to fend for themselves because insurers didn’t just deny valid claims—they even skipped court representation, exposing the owners to expensive legal losses.
“This is a full-blown crisis,” Mule told the Committee. “These firms are charging peanuts for third-party insurance—just two thousand shillings annually—knowing very well they’ll never pay out.”
The irony? Matatu operators say they’ve been religiously paying their premiums and complying with policy terms. But when accidents happen, the response from insurers is either silence or a swift vanishing act.
Kushian Muchiri, CEO of the Federation of Public Transport Sector, didn’t hold back either. “We’re being extorted,” he said. “And the law isn’t being followed. The IRA is asleep on the job while matatu owners bleed money from fictitious claims and ignored payouts.”
Muchiri urged the committee to not just act but act fast. His message was clear: the insurance sector in Kenya is in dire need of standards—and strict enforcement. Without it, he warned, public transport operators will continue to be the punching bag in an industry that’s already risky and overloaded with operational costs.
It’s worth noting that third-party motor insurance is mandatory in Kenya. So when insurers fail to honor claims, it’s more than just a breach of contract—it’s a betrayal of public trust.
The committee now has the ball in its court. It’s expected to summon the parties involved, dig deeper, and ultimately present its findings to Parliament. Whether that leads to sanctions, reforms, or more finger-pointing, remains to be seen.
But for now, matatu operators are demanding more than just fair treatment. They want accountability, transparency, and an end to what they call a rigged system that punishes the very people who keep Kenya moving.
