According to the network, the sector facilitates nearly six million passenger journeys every day /JACKTONE LAWI
Kenya's tuk-tuk industry has hit back at calls to remove the vehicles from major towns and cities, with operators saying the debate ignores one of the country's biggest informal businesses.
In a statement released on Monday, the Tuk Tuk Operators Network(TTON) objected to the recent remarks by President William Ruto’s adviser, Professor Makau Mutua, to remove the 3-wheelers from major towns.
The operators said Kenya now has approximately 250,000 registered tuk-tuks operating across more than 30 counties, directly employing an estimated 750,000 licensed drivers through shift-based operations while sustaining a much broader ecosystem.
The operators argued that the sector has become a major source of jobs, investment and tax revenue.
“Today, I lead the Kenyan tuk tuk community in rejecting these remarks in the strongest possible terms. They are unfortunate, inaccurate, demeaning, and dismissive of hundreds of thousands of hard-working Kenyans whose livelihoods depend on this industry,” said Tuk Tuk Operators Network national chairman Vincent Were.
According to the network, the sector facilitates nearly six million passenger journeys every day, transporting workers, students, patients, traders and commuters to markets, schools, hospitals, government offices and public transport terminals.
TTON estimates that at least 150,000 tuk tuks each generate an average of Sh1,000 daily, translating into approximately Sh4.5 billion in monthly transactions and Sh54 billion annually.
Beyond direct earnings, the industry says it contributes billions of shillings to the economy through fuel levies, vehicle registration fees, insurance premiums, driving licences, county permits, parking charges, inspections, taxes, SACCO contributions and vehicle maintenance.
"Tuk tuk operators are taxpayers, investors, employers and job creators," the statement said, arguing that the sector has become an integral part of Kenya's informal economy and the government's employment creation agenda.
The operators warned that reducing the debate to whether tuk tuks belong on urban roads overlooks the industry's wider economic significance, including its role in supporting thousands of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
