A LOOK INSIDE NAIROBI’S MATATUS

ATM,” and “Another one from God,” -- meaning this matatu is another one made possible my God. The matatu is as fun to look at as Kevin is to talk with and these extra touches mean they can charge a bit extra for their service.

Matatu owners set the amount of money they expect to make from a matatu in a day and anything over that, Kevin (conductor)and Steve (driver) get to keep, so there is an incentive to set prices high and make sure the vehicles is always full. Therefore, the cost of riding a matatu is driven by demand. On rainy days the cost can be significantly higher, making it hard for commuters to budget their daily travel costs.

Kenyan Bus Services, one of the biggest Matatu companies (also known as Sacco’s) has been advocating for set fares for rides, but for now this privatized system can set the fares based on need. Nairobi’s low-income residents often choose to walk rather than ride matatus: with fluctuating fares, driven higher by unexpected traffic and weather events, only 32% of low income Nairobians can afford riding a matatu regularly.

As a conductor, Kevin helps in making the process efficient, but commuting via matatu does not save the passengers from the ferocious Nairobi morning traffic. Based on the Japan International Cooperation Agency, 15% of matatu commutes in the city take more than 4 hours.

See Kevin’s trip on pages 8-9