In Kenya’s pulsating capital, many women fear their daily commute. Passengers say they face unwanted touching, groping, assault and even rape when they aboard matatus. Most women feel invisible and few report what happened.
On the Ground: What Women Experience
At least large percent of women using matatus in Nairobi say they’ve faced sexual or emotional abuse. Yet only about seven per cent report incidents and just a small number lead to the culprit being arrested. Recently many women online have raised concerns on the many cases of sexual assault that they have experienced.
A viral TikTok video has sparked a lot of rage online when a woman shared her experience. The woman was queuing to get in the matatu and the man behind him kept rubbing himself on her and even asked her to sit at the back with him and when the woman refused, he unzipped his pants and kept smiling at her. Many more woman shared their experiences too on the comment section. This video continues to show that woman being assaulted in matatus is an everyday occurrence which is largely ignored.
One commuter shared her ordeal on a Reddit forum:
Another viral video on Tiktok has sparked a lot of outrage where a confrontation began when a woman is seen arguing with a matatu driver. The woman claimed the matatu driver kept looking at her chest and smiling and then rubbing himself while looking at her.
She later posted the video on her Tiktok page and captioned; “last week when I was going to town,nilikaa hapo mbele Kwa driver and noticed he kept looking at my chest and rubbing himself. I tried not paying attention to him for a while just wanting to get to town safely until akambao na akaeka chupa katikati ya miguu. I confronted him and told him I have been seeing him the whole time and aka proceed kunitusi and laughing at me. so nikajitetea and started yelling in the mat to embarrass hio haga yake imechoka. sitawai make a safe space for hawa wanyama.”
Not just fellow passengers assault women but also the matatu crews which include drivers and conductors. The conductors especially make inappropriate sexual comments about their bodies, touch, grope and even assault women.
Assault on Roads too
Many cases have been reported in matatu stages where women were undressed for wearing a short skirt. These women are told its their fault for wearing short skirts and outfits and if they didn’t want that to happen they should have instead worn long skirts and dresses. These cases resulted to the #MyDressMyChoice Campaign in 2014.
Some women were raped in matatu stages while men cheered. These women were so scared that they tried to hide under matatus and run but were ganged on and assaulted.
In one incident a woman driving was ganged on by Boda boda riders and assaulted at Forest Road. The Boda boda riders kept assaulting her while she screamed and tried to escape.
Women Speaking Out
Women speaking out is not met with a lot of support and kindness. Many have been insulted and even assaulted for reporting. Women online when they share their experiences were told. “you are not pretty enough to be touched or raped”. “kwani hutaki kukatiwa?”. “Buy your own car”.
Some women who reported the cases at the police station were verbally abused and asked to leave because they were wasting the officers time.
Women have been laughed at and mocked for speaking out. Many have experienced many cases of sexual assault to a point that it doesn’t faze them and they don’t see the need for reporting anymore.
Human Rights and women advocates have encouraged women to speak out and not to stay silent. Women have a right to defend themselves and report these cases to police immediately.
Women have been encouraged to fight back, not ignore the inappropriate actions and comments and even record to create awareness and store evidence for building a case against the perpetrators.
Staying silent only enables the perpetrator and the situation never fades away or stops but it will continue happening and even escalate.
Men are Victims too
These incidents don’t just happen to women only. Men have shared how they were assaulted by other men too. Another man recounted how a middle-aged passenger allegedly inserted his hand into his lap while sitting at the back of a matatu. He said he confronted the man, but “no one gave a shit”.
Results of Assault
Many women online have shared that the only solution that seems to work for these cases to stop from happening is to protect oneself because the system has totally failed to protect them. Many women are scared to get in a matatu with only male passengers or if the empty seat is next to a man they refuse to board because they are scared of being assaulted.
Women are being encouraged to take self-defense classes so that they can be able to protect themselves or buy self-defense weapons.
Still, anyone who has experienced or witnessed any incident, should report as it can make a difference. Silence is seen as part of the problem as the perpetrators are never caught.
The Bigger Issue
The matatu system serves more than 70 per cent of Nairobi’s commuters, making these minibuses vital yet vulnerable spaces. But the same informality that fuels their ubiquity has created gaps in safety. Matatu crews are often young, untrained, and poorly supervised. Harassment is commonplace and enforcement is weak.
A 2024 survey by GeoPoll found 55 per cent of users reported crew harassment, verbal insults, touching or worse. About 41 per cent reported physical violations. Still, 71 per cent did not report to police, believing no change would follow. Of those who did, only 19 per cent saw any legal action beyond a written report.
Matatu Saccos are reported not to vet or do background checks for the crews. The Saccos also have many loopholes as they don’t provide emergency hotlines for anyone who is assaulted and if a case is reported its not investigated and often ignored. The crew if reported no action is taken against them or they don’t cooperate with police.
Matatu Saccos also don’t provide any measures to help protect women.
Efforts to Tackle the Harassment
In 2019, Equality Now and NTSA launched the #MyMatatuStory and Nganya Safe initiatives aimed at educating crew members and empowering victims to report incidents.
In 2022, the Political Leadership and Governance Programme (PLGP) pushed for a formal Public Transport Code of Conduct. It outlines duties across regulatory bodies, sacco operators, crew and passengers, anchored in Kenya’s constitution, the Sexual Offences Act and the Traffic Act.
That same year, NTSA set up a dedicated hotline and app for harassment survivors. Victims can now call a specialist gender desk rather than a general complaints line. Faiza Jama, Equality Now’s Africa director, said: “The long‑term goal is to establish a gender desk … staffed to deal with sexual and gender‑based violence issues”.
Voices for Change
Disbelief remains that so many suffer in silence. One activist noted the social pressure on women to avoid speaking out. Onlookers often do nothing when harassment happens, fearing social stigma more than they fear saying nothing.
Representatives from women’s rights organisations stressed the urgency. Jacqueline Mutere, co‑founder of Grace Agenda, pointed to the need for legal support, counselling services and a shift in transport culture.
A Delicate Balance
Matatus are central to Nairobi’s transport system. Regulation and infrastructure investments are underway but behavior remains a barrier. Rules and hotlines matter only if they lead to real consequences.
Survivors and advocates argue for stronger enforcement, wider public awareness, mandatory training of drivers and crew, and safer spaces for women to speak out.
Conclusion
Until harassment is treated as a serious offence rather than a tolerated nuisance, women will remain at risk on the very roads they rely on. The fight is not just about hotlines or codes it’s about shifting culture and law toward fair, safe treatment for all.
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