The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has revoked the operating licence of Nicco Movers Sacco with immediate effect, in one of the regulator's firmest moves yet against a public service operator. The decision strips the Sacco of its authority to run vehicles on Kenyan roads after a fatal incident involving one of its buses.
The action follows investigations into an incident that claimed the life of Eugene Mutuku, a student at the Kenya Medical Training College. His death prompted the authority to place the operator's wider safety record under close examination rather than treating the case as an isolated accident.
In a statement issued on Friday, the NTSA said a comprehensive audit of the Sacco's safety standards and compliance status had revealed serious lapses in the management and operations of its fleet. The findings, the authority indicated, pointed to systemic problems rather than a one-off failure.
According to the NTSA, the audit further established that vehicles operating under the Sacco pose a significant risk to passengers and to other road users. That conclusion formed the basis for the regulator's decision to act against the entire fleet rather than against individual vehicles or drivers.
As a result, the authority ordered the immediate suspension of all Nicco Movers Sacco transport services. The directive means the operator is, with immediate effect, no longer permitted to carry passengers anywhere within the country until the issues raised are addressed.
The NTSA also directed law enforcement agencies to impound any of the Sacco's vehicles found operating despite the ban. The instruction is intended to ensure that the revocation is enforced on the ground and that no Nicco Movers Sacco buses continue ferrying passengers in defiance of the order.