The renowned radio personality Caroline Mutoko has stood her ground regarding the Nairobi Expressway after coming under fire from Kenyans on Twitter.
The former Kiss 11 FM presenter was on the receiving end of harsh criticism after questioning why matatus were being allowed to use the Nairobi Expressway. This followed another accident at a toll station of the elevated expressway.
CCTV footage showed a Matatu approaching the toll station at Mlolongo at high speed and ramming into a stationary car and the toll booth. At least 20 people were injured in the Monday, July 4 accident.
Reacting to the video, Caroline Mutoko tweeted: “Wait we now have Matatus on the expressway? Courting trouble….”
Of course, PSVs had initially been banned from the expressway. However, on June 1, Moja Expressway, the parent company managing the toll road, said matatus would be allowed on condition that they do not pick up or drop off passengers along the 27- kilometer stretch.
Caroline Mutoko clearly did not get the memo and her ignorance made her a Twitter trending topic for two days(and counting).
Twitter users interpreted her tweet to mean that she was looking down on PSV commuters and propagating a social class division between car owners and commuters.
“Caroline Mutoko is simply saying, “Poor people in matatus should not be on the expressway,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Nairobians Are Grossly Indisciplined”
Mutoko responded to the backlash saying her concerns were about indisciplined Matatu operators.
“I want to talk about the myopia of anybody thinking that my concern about PSVs being on the Expressway is about PSVs. It is about the fact that as a people we are indisciplined, as Nairobians we are grossly indisciplined, PSVs in Nairobi are massively indisciplined. We are courting trouble…” she said.
Mutoko clarified that she doesn’t have a problem with PSVs on the Expressway as long as they are fitted with speed governors.
“There is absolutely no problem with PSVs being in the Expressway on condition that their speed governors are back on. It should be a prerequisite for PSVs to have speed governor on the expressway.”
The media personality also called for stricter penalties and heavy fines to ensure sanity on the expressway.
“I hope that someone is working on punitive fines for the expressway. I hope they look like Sh20,000…Sh10,000… because we can’t be trusted to behave. Nairobians are grossly indisciplined and we have proved it,” Caroline said.
She went on: “I don’t know how many times Mlolongo has to be built and rebuilt…and in this country and city…PSVs tunangoja siku gari itatoka huko juu iende chini. Mark my words. Stop giving me nonsense.”
“When I say we are caught in trouble, we are and you know it. Shame on you for making this about anything but lives. This expressway…kabla we wake up and get serious…tutaua wengi. Take a seat. I said what I said. We are caught in trouble.” Mutoko concluded.
I did not stutter.
I said what I said. pic.twitter.com/mNs56C7q2H— Caroline Mutoko (@CarolineMutoko) July 5, 2022
