The Transport Licensing Appeals Board has suspended the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operator licence of Nicco Movers Limited with immediate effect after raising serious road safety and compliance concerns.
The Tribunal has given the bus operator seven days to address 10 concerns raised by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
The decision followed an appeal by Nicco Movers against NTSA’s decision to revoke its operating licence.
The Tribunal, chaired by Dr Adrian Kamotho Njenga, set aside the revocation but ordered the immediate suspension of the licence.
It warned that the licence could still be revoked if the company fails to comply with the directives.
The case followed two fatal incidents involving vehicles operating under the Nicco Movers licence within a period of six months.
The first incident occurred on January 11, 2026, when a vehicle operating under the company’s licence knocked down and killed a pedestrian along Thika Superhighway near Kenyatta University and Kahawa Sukari.
The second incident occurred on June 5, 2026, when KMTC student Eugene Mutivi Mutuku died after falling from a moving Nicco Movers vehicle, registration number KDV 713J.
The incident happened along Thika Superhighway near Waumini Radio Station.
The Tribunal noted that the driver and conductor of the vehicle were not produced before NTSA.
According to Eugene’s mother, Jacinta Nzilani Mutuku, the two abandoned the scene after the incident.
“The Interested Party’s loss is irreversible,” the Tribunal said.
It noted that while regulatory proceedings could not restore Eugene’s life, enforcement action could help reduce the risk of another family experiencing a similar loss.
NTSA cited several safety violations involving vehicles operating under the Nicco Movers licence.
According to the authority, 30 vehicles had been recorded travelling above the prescribed speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour.
Another 11 vehicles were not transmitting speed-limiter data, while one vehicle was operating without a speed limiter.
Three vehicles were also found to have expired inspection certificates.
The concerns prompted the Tribunal to order Nicco Movers to present 51 vehicles for inspection.
The inspection revealed further safety and compliance problems.
Only six of the 51 vehicles passed the inspection, while 45 failed.
Inspectors identified several defects in the vehicles that failed the inspection.
These included missing or defective seat belts, faulty doors and windows, defective lights and horns, damaged body panels and missing safety equipment.
The findings raised further concerns over the operator’s ability to maintain vehicles in a condition that guarantees passenger safety.
Despite finding that NTSA had sufficient grounds and legal authority to take regulatory action, the Tribunal ruled that completely revoking the operator’s licence was disproportionate.
The Tribunal held that the law provides less restrictive measures that NTSA could use to address the safety concerns.
These include removing defective vehicles from an operator’s licence or suspending the licence.
“Revocation fails the third and fourth inquiries,” the Tribunal ruled.
The Tribunal therefore opted to suspend the licence instead of cancelling it outright.
The decision means Nicco Movers has an opportunity to address the safety and compliance issues before facing a more severe regulatory sanction.
The Tribunal directed Nicco Movers to address the 10 compliance concerns within seven days.
The company is expected to take corrective measures to ensure its vehicles meet the required safety and regulatory standards.
The Tribunal further ruled that if the concerns remain unresolved after 14 days from the date of the judgment, NTSA may issue a fresh notice to show cause.
The authority would then be at liberty to proceed with revocation of the licence.
The Tribunal said the suspension was intended to give the operator an opportunity to comply while protecting the safety of passengers and other road users.
Nicco Movers’ appeal therefore partially succeeded.
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