“You’re 35 and still boarding matatus? You don’t feel shame?”
That one line from TikToker and eyebrow technician Sparky Eyebrows lit a match under Kenya’s commuter culture and TikTok couldn’t look away.
In the now-viral video, Sparky, dressed sharply and seated behind the wheel of his Porsche Cayenne, launched into a minute-long critique of grown Kenyans who, according to him, should be well past the matatu phase of their lives.
“Your agemates are opening the sunroof,” he sneered. “The only thing you’re opening is the window to shout Naivasha! Naivasha!”
Is He Wrong, or Just Loud?
The backlash was swift and very Kenyan. TikTokers, Facebook aunties, Gen Z Twitter philosophers, and even comedians jumped in to drag him through every dusty matatu stage from Gikambura to Githurai.
Terence Creative was among the first to clap back:
“Let me remind you that the same people you insult helped you to buy that car,” he wrote. “You can succeed even in your 50s!”
But the conversation quickly turned into something bigger than Sparky.
What if, beneath the laughter and keyboard rage, there was a deeper truth behind his viral venom? Is the matatu stigma real? And why do we treat public transport like a punishment?
Reality Check: Who’s Really in the Matatu?
Every day, over 2 million Nairobians commute by matatu. That includes university graduates, government workers, junior bankers, influencers, and yes 35-year-olds with dreams, bills, and backaches. It’s not poverty; it’s infrastructure.
Even MPs have been spotted in Probox taxis, and no one’s dragged them… yet.
Who is Sparky, Anyway?
Known on TikTok as @SparkyEyebrows, the flamboyant microblading artist has built a loyal following by mixing eyebrow content with luxury lifestyle takes and you guessed it hot takes.
But critics say he’s crossed a line from “influencer” to “insensitive.”
Still, some commenters quietly admitted they kind of get where he’s coming from:
“He’s rude, yes, but I won’t lie I also dream of never queuing at Khoja again,” one TikTok user wrote.
What We’re Really Arguing About
This is no longer about Sparky. It’s about class, aspiration, and shame.
In Nairobi, wealth isn’t just about money. It’s about symbols watches, wigs, weaves, WiFi… and wheels.
“In Kenya, if you drive, you’ve ‘made it.’ If you board a matatu, people assume you’re struggling,” says Dr. Mercy Ochieng, a sociologist at the University of Nairobi. “But this thinking is harmful. It ignores the real economics and real people behind public transport.”
But Let’s Not Pretend
Yes, some matatus are chaotic. There’s loud music at 6am, moody passangers, fare tussle, dripping chicken bones under the seat, and occasional lectures from the makanga about “sitting like a man.”
But there’s also camaraderie, comedy, and cheap fares.
You meet Nairobi in its rawest form on a matatu. You see struggle, hustle, TikTok trends, and M-Pesa fraud all in one ride.
📢 Final Stop: What’s the Real Shame?
Maybe the shame isn’t about being 35 and in a matatu. Maybe it’s about living in a city where buying a car feels like the only way to earn respect.
So Sparky asked, “You don’t feel shame?”
Maybe it’s time Kenya asked itself the same thing about classism, not commuters.
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