President William Ruto intervened to prevent the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) from implementing its contentious prohibition on matatu graffiti, decorative artwork, and tinted windows, countermanding a directive that had received judicial approval.
Addressing stakeholders at State House Mombasa on Friday, May 22, 2026, following extended discussions with public transport operators, Ruto instructed the authority to pause the directive and allow matatu culture to flourish within appropriate safety parameters.
I have instructed the NTSA to establish a supportive framework enabling matatu operators to maintain artwork and graffiti on their vehicles while ensuring safety and consideration for other road users,” the President stated.
The decision provides instant relief to PSV operators, graffiti artists, and numerous young Kenyans whose income depends on Kenya’s distinctive *nganya* transport culture, which had faced legal challenges for nearly twelve months.
The dispute commenced in May 2025, when NTSA mandated all public service vehicles to remove exterior graffiti, decorative artwork, and after-market window tints.
Under Director-General George Njao, the authority cautioned that non-compliant operators would face significant penalties, including vehicle confiscation, license suspension, and denial of access to NTSA’s service platform.
The regulator justified the directive based on road safety concerns, asserting that extensive exterior decorations impaired driver visibility and that dark window tints impeded police surveillance of vehicle interiors.
NTSA further observed that intricate designs obscured mandatory markings, including registered SACCO names, designated routes, and the standard yellow stripe identifying public service vehicles.
Matatu operators mounted strong opposition, bringing the case to the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi. Their legal representatives contended that the prohibition contravened constitutional safeguards for cultural and artistic expression, that NTSA had skipped required public consultation, and importantly, that the authority had presented no proof connecting vehicle graffiti to traffic accidents.
Nevertheless, on April 29, 2026, High Court Justice Bahati Mwamuye rejected the petition in a verdict that strongly supported the regulator’s position.
The judge determined the directive to be both lawful and constitutional, deciding that public safety concerns superseded the right to artistic expression. It was also acknowledged that NTSA had adhered to proper legal processes throughout, thereby paving the way for nationwide enforcement.
Despite the court’s approval, President Ruto opted to intervene after receiving direct appeals from transportation industry leaders.
In his speech, he openly expressed his astonishment at the prohibition, remarking, “Matatu operators have informed me they were instructed to remove graffiti, and I find myself wondering why?”
NTSA will now need to rescind the directive, though Ruto has allowed the possibility for the authority to establish regulated standards for applying graffiti and artwork on public vehicles.
This approach will help balance preserving Kenya’s dynamic matatu culture with upholding road safety standards.