Makau Mutua calls for tuk-tuks to be kicked off Kenya’s major roads
President William Ruto’s constitutional affairs adviser says the three-wheelers have no place on highways, but critics argue they provide jobs and affordable transport for thousands of Kenyans.
President William Ruto’s senior adviser on constitutional affairs, Prof Makau Mutua, has triggered fresh debate after calling for tuk-tuks to be removed from Kenya’s major roads and highways.
The outspoken adviser argued that the three-wheeled vehicles are not suitable for high-speed roads, saying they slow traffic and negatively affect the appearance of cities.
Taking to his official X account on Thursday, July 2, Mutua questioned why tuk-tuks continue to operate on major transport corridors, insisting they should be kept off busy roads.
“Why do we have tuk-tuks on major roads and highways, even in Nairobi? We shouldn’t. These pathetic contraptions aren’t roadworthy.”
He added:
“They obstruct traffic, are completely unsightly, and degrade our capital city. Please remove them from our major roads in cities and towns.”
His remarks quickly sparked discussion online, with some Kenyans backing the proposal and arguing that restricting slow-moving vehicles from highways could improve traffic flow and boost road safety.
Others pushed back, saying tuk-tuks remain a vital part of Kenya’s transport network, offering affordable travel while supporting the livelihoods of thousands of operators, especially in urban and peri-urban areas.
Mutua’s latest comments come just a day after he criticised the behaviour of boda boda riders in Nairobi, accusing some of regularly riding against traffic despite the presence of police officers.
In that earlier statement, he said:
“Why are boda boda riders riding against traffic everywhere in Nairobi? Why? Don’t we have traffic police in this country? We cannot normalise such illegal, abnormal, and uncivilised conduct and still call ourselves a world-class city. We cannot! Those responsible must act NOW.”
The latest proposal also revives a position Mutua has maintained for months on informal transport.
In July 2025, he called for a complete ban on boda bodas from Kenya’s major cities and towns, arguing that modern urban centres should not tolerate what he described as chaos, illegality and poor road discipline.
That proposal drew sharp criticism from industry stakeholders, including the Boda Boda Association of Kenya, which argued that millions of Kenyans rely on the sector for their livelihoods and that such proposals go against the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
For now, however, Mutua’s latest remarks remain a personal policy proposal. The national government has not announced any plans to ban tuk-tuks from major roads or highways.
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