MATATUS: PROBLEMATIC BUT LOVED

Matatus are problematic, but also beloved. As one of the world’s most gridlocked cities, Nairobi suffers from extraordinary levels of air pollution from traffic. According to the UN’s Breathe Life campaign, levels of dangerous particulates in the air are 70% higher than the safe level.

One big contributor to these pollution levels is matatu engine idling. Most matatus wait until every seat is filled until they depart; going into the city in the mornings that usually does not take long, but on the homeward commute the boarding process can often take 30 minutes to an hour. To entice passengers onto the bus with the impression of an imminent departure, matatu drivers keep their engines running as the bus fills with passengers. This practice means that matatu engines run for most of the day; based on some interviews collected by UN Environment a matatu engine runs between 14 and 16 hours a day.

But it’s not only efficiency and competition that keep matatu engines running: drivers are often actively discouraged from stopping in certain locations in the city center by the police. In extreme cases, their busses will be seized and they will be slapped with a fine for not keeping the traffic moving in these congested areas. cultural fabric of the city. They remain the most ubiquitous means of transportation in the city for most people, and almost everyone who has grown up in Nairobi has boarded a matatu.

Engine idling has been struck down in many major cities that hope to address the adverse health effects of engine exhaust. Stopping the practice of engine idling can also lead to huge savings in fuel costs.

Matatus are the common ground, the shared lived experience of millions of Kenyans.

Matatus also provide canvasses and forums for the city’s young artists to showcase their work. Most matatus are covered in graffiti done by local artists; music by local musicians blares from their speakers.

The government often mentions plans to institute a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) network in the city, and sometimes has restricted the matatu’s art and loud music. Some members of the community believe that developments like this would hinder the economy and stifle the creativity that is allowed to flourish on these busses. Being so embedded in the transit infrastructure of the city, and in the consciousness of its citizens, it’s unlikely the matatus will be going anywhere anytime soon.

Though matatu engine idling practices contribute to the detrimental effects of air pollution, matatus themselves are a central and adored part of Nairobian life, and a vital thread in the

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(1) Kevin is a matatu conductor. He works with Jackson (driver) on the well known Nairobi MadCow matatu.

(2) Inside Kevin’s matatu (Mad-Cow) lots of monitors play Kenyan songs and videos.

(3) Matatu picking up passengers in Jogoo Road.

(4) Kevin and Jackson checking Google Traffic on Jackson’s smartphone.