Kenyans deal with a lot when using Matatus. There is nothing first-class about it so if you want comfort while travelling, order a cab or buy your own car.
They go by a myriad of names. Nganya, Mathree, Mat, all these for one vehicle; the Matatu or by its government name, a Public Service Vehicle (PSV).
Matatus have been in existence in this country for decades now, servicing those who do not have their own means of transportation to their desired destination. They are doing a brilliant job. However, there are luxuries you forget once you are subject to matatus because they are substituted by:
- Sambazas
There is no one in this country who does not have experience with this. Well except the president of course. This is literally a plank of wood the tout gives you to balance in between two chairs on either side, creating a chair out of thin air to sit on. For one, they are extremely uncomfortable and not to mention, they can humble you. It’s even worse because you will still pay the same fare as the rest who have the ‘pleasure’ of sitting on a good matatu seat.
- Rude touts
I got into this Matatu that had an interesting poster on the window. ‘kulipa ni lazima, change utangojea’. Funny, because this message describes almost all Matatu touts. They are rude beyond your understanding. Sometimes they don’t give you back change. They will keep squeezing more people into the overstuffed Matatu, and if you don’t comply, get ready for a vocal fight. They can be a commuter’s worst nightmare.
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- Kamageras
These are people who are not touts of the said matatu but they help the touts to get customers. So the thing with Kamageras is they are so handsy. They will pull your hand, put an arm around your shoulder, push you or even call you nice names just to get into the Mathree they are rooting for.
- Reckless driving
Matatu drivers don’t leave things to chance. 120 kph is their standard speed so here you are thinking they are breaking road regulations by speeding — but that is a you-problem to them who aim to maximise profits.
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Ultimately, if you are intending on travelling home from work and you want to relax, Matatus may not be what you are looking for. There is no comfort there. I’d suggest you use another means or suck it up, get on that Mathree and once you get home, you can sit on your plush couch and compensate for the lack of.
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