NAIROBI, Kenya – In a significant legal victory for the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the High Court has affirmed the agency’s mandate to enforce strict aesthetic and safety standards on public service vehicles (PSVs).
The ruling solidifies the legality of directives requiring the immediate removal of custom graffiti, ornate artistic designs, and window tinting, effectively placing new limits on the popular “nganya” culture within the matatu industry.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Bahati Mwamuye on Wednesday, April 29, the court dismissed a petition challenging the enforcement notice issued in May last year.
It instead ruled that it was constitutional, lawful and properly grounded in public safety considerations.
Petitioners argued that regulations banning grafitti were introduced without adequate public participation saying the public was not properly notified and that information was not provided in Kiswahili.
