Abstract:
There has been a long history of attempts at reform to the informal transport industry in
Kenya. Matatus, as they are colloquially known, have been the subject of repeated
attempts at improving their service quality and safety. These efforts are almost exclusively
regulatory and driven by pressure on the state to act on major safety failures on Kenya’s
roads. However, they have not created lasting reform. At best, they provide temporary
behavioural change among drivers and crews. In the long run, they have created a web of
regulations that are cumulatively counterproductive, leading to burdensome and opaque
legal requirements, prohibitive costs of compliance, rent-seeking behaviour among
enforcers, and routine large-scale non-compliance. In addition to these regulations, there
have also been reforms requiring collectivisation of vehicle ownership through structures
like SACCOs and companies. These, however, have not provided the benefits of
institutional self regulation as intended. This paper shows that for lasting reform in the
sector, all these interventions are not enough. The challenge must be approached as an
urban mobility issue rather than as solely a safety concern. Reforms to enhance the
financial viability of operations missing in current interventions need to be introduced.
Importantly, this should be done by an urban mobility planning authority, that can bring
together licensing, safety, and infrastructure agencies to manage the various elements of
the reform process.
