By MN Reporter

Matatu Operators in Migori County have threatened not to pay their taxes should Governor Obado’s government fail to address their grievances.

The operators who were represented by their union chairman George Rarieda noted that they had met with Governor Obado in June 2019 where they discussed five agendas which include establishment of a drainage at the bus park and lighting.

Others include launching of union certificate, expansion of the bus park and request of bus park stake income.

According to the matatu operators, the governor promised that their grievances would be addressed.

They however noted that three years later, they were still waiting for their issues to be addressed.

“When we met with the governor in 2019, we agreed that he was going to do some adjustments to our bus stage,” Mr. Rarieda said.

Last year, the matatu operators penned a petition to the governor, where they noted that failure to address the problems they were facing was a let down to them.

In the petition, the matatu operators accused Obado’s administration of neglecting people working at the bus park by failing to provide water that traders and bus operators at the bus park could use in washing their hands and cleaning.

They also accused it of failing to provide lighting at the bus park where they noted that the bus park was left with total darkness when night came, thus making it unsafe for passengers and traders.

Furthermore, the operators noted that poor drainage at the bus park resulted into flooding during rainy seasons, thus disrupting operations at the bus park.

The Matatu Operators Sacco Chair stated that their issues had been neglected and would not pay their taxes if the governor failed to act within two weeks.

Additionally, the operators expressed their fears saying that it would be difficult to claim Sacco offices which were formally registered under the names of other traders.

They want the governor to act fast in the transfer of names of the Sacco offices to the names of the Sacco leaders, before his term ends.

The operators now want the governor and his government to act fast in addressing their issues

“We are giving the county government 14 days to implement these things failure to which we are not going to pay taxes,” Rarieda said.