The Member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Winnie Odinga, has voiced strong opposition to the National Transport and Safety Authority’s (NTSA) recent directives targeting public service vehicles (PSVs) adorned with graffiti.
The NTSA’s directives aim to enforce regulations against PSVs featuring graffiti and tinted windows, citing safety and compliance concerns. However, Odinga, taking to her Instagram account on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, argued that while removing window tints may be justified for safety reasons, banning graffiti undermines a vital aspect of Kenyan matatu culture.
She emphasised that instead of penalising young artists and matatu operators, the relevant authorities should provide them with road safety training to ensure compliance without stifling creativity.
“Removing the tint is okay, but graffiti is part of the culture. Stop bullying these kids; just take them to road safety training,” Winnie Odinga stated.
NTSA on matatu graffiti
Winnie’s criticism comes after NTSA on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, issued a notice to all matatus with graffiti and artistic enhancements.
In a notice published on MyGov, the transport authority noted with concern how some PSVs were modified with graffiti, making it difficult to identify them by their sacco or company.
NTSA further indicated that the enhancements had made it difficult for various officers to establish the matatus’ designated routes and whether they have the mandatory yellow continuous line.
“The Authority has observed widespread non-compliance with these regulatory provisions, especially among commuter public service vehicles. A notable number of vehicles have been modified through the application of graffiti and other unauthorised artistic enhancements, resulting in the inability to clearly identify the name of the Sacco or company under which the vehicle operates, its designated route, or the mandatory continuous yellow line that distinguishes licensed PSVs,” the notice read in part.
The regulator further claimed that some matatus had gone to the extent of failing to display the NTSA operational sticker, thus eroding public trust in the PSV sector.
“Such contraventions violate the letter and spirit of the regulations and undermine public confidence in the PSV sector by creating ambiguity as to the licensed operator. Furthermore, a number of these motor vehicles have failed to conspicuously display the official NTSA operational sticker or any other identifying mark issued by the Authority, rendering regulatory verification and enforcement ineffective,” the authority retorted.
