The Kiambu County Government has successfully obtained a court order, granting a much-needed reprieve for matatu operators and traders. This order temporarily suspends an earlier ruling that had allowed the Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) to take over the crucial Makongeni Bus Park in Thika. The Environment and Lands Court in Thika issued an interim stay of execution this Monday, pending an inter partes hearing scheduled for November 11, 2025.
Justice Jacqueline Mogeni issued the orders and instructed the County Government to serve the application to the respondents within five days. The court further ordered that, upon service, the respondents must file their replying affidavit within five days. This legal action follows the court’s decision last month, which concluded a seven-year legal battle by ruling in favour of the Postal Corporation. That prior judgment had commanded the county to immediately cease all operations at the site, hand over control to PCK, and remit all revenues collected from matatu operators since June 16, 2018.
The land, which was previously idle, was originally allocated by then Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu to establish the bus park, intending to ease transport and accessibility within Makongeni. The initial adverse ruling would have barred the county from collecting parking or stage fees at the busy terminus, a facility that Governor Kimani Wamatangi later upgraded into a modern facility, officially opened earlier this year following a major renovation.
The judgment was a significant setback for Kiambu County’s finances. The bus park is a vital revenue source, crucial for the county’s goal of raising between Ksh. 7 and Ksh. 8 billion in annual Own-Source Revenue (OSR) to support its Ksh. 22 billion 2023/2024 budget. Parking and stage fees alone previously generated about Ksh. 279 million toward this target. PCK had accused the county of violating lease agreements by developing the land without approval, although county officials defended the project as a public-private partnership aimed at improving local transport infrastructure.
Matatu operators and traders relying on the four-acre bus park for the past seven years noted the facility is their primary source of income, supporting over 2,000 people directly and indirectly. They urgently appealed to both PCK and the County Government to find an amicable solution that allows them to continue operating or be relocated to an alternative site. Matatu operator John Karanja shared that the ruling was a major blow to thousands of families dependent on the park for their daily living. Traders who sell food, vehicle parts, and accessories around the park warned that its closure would cripple their small businesses and reverse recent development gains in the area.
