The Kiambu County Government has obtained a court order suspending a ruling that had allowed the Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) to take over Makongeni Bus Park in Thika.
The Environment and Lands Court in Thika on Monday, November 3, issued an interim stay of execution of the ruling pending an inter partes hearing set for November 11, 2025.
Justice Jacqueline Mogeni while issuing the orders also ordered County Government to serve the application to the respondents within five days. “Upon service, the Respondents shall file their replying affidavit within five days,” read part of the order.
This comes after the court, last month ruled in favour of the Postal Corporation after a seven-year legal battle with the county government over ownership of the land, ordering 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 had remained idle before, was allocated by then Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu for the establishment of a bus park aimed at easing transport and improving accessibility within Makongeni.
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The ruling barred the county from collecting parking or stage fees at the busy terminus, which was later upgraded by Governor Kimani Wamatangi.
The county government recently completed a major renovation that transformed the bus park into a modern facility officially opened earlier this year.
The judgment is a significant setback for Kiambu County’s finances. The bus park has been one of several crucial revenue sources in the county’s efforts to raise between Ksh 7 and Ksh8 billion in annual own-source revenue (OSR) to support its Ksh22 billion 2023/2024 budget.
Parking and stage fees alone have previously brought in about Ksh 279 million, against an estimated potential of Ksh1.19 billion.
Posta Kenya had accused the county of violating lease agreements by developing the land without approval, while county officials defended the project as a public-private partnership meant to improve local transport infrastructure.
Matatu operators and traders at the busy termini, who have relied on the four-acre bus park for the past seven years, said the facility is their main source of income and supports more than 2,000 people directly and indirectly.
They appealed to both PCK and the Kiambu County Government to find an amicable solution that will allow them to continue operating or be relocated to an alternative site
Speaking at the terminus, matatu operators said the ruling came as a major setback to thousands of families who depend on the park for their daily income.
“We have been operating here for the last seven years. Thousands of families depend on this bus park to eke their daily living. We hope that an amicable solution will be reached between the warring parties and for the sake of all affected parties,” said John Karanja, a matatu operator.
Traders who sell food, vehicle parts, and accessories around the park said the closure would cripple their small businesses and reverse the area’s development gains.
By John Kamau
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