Nairobi by Matatu

After a few days in Laikipia, me and my fellow International Reporting Project journalists are back in Nairobi. I feel like I have spent so much time in off-road vehicles, taxis and planes that I haven’t really seen the Kenyan capital. But I’ve been warned that this city is infamous for its high crime rate — hence the nickname, “Nairobbery.” So, I’m a bit nervous about my decision to take a trip around Nairobi in a matatu.

Matatus are large mini-vans that can fit a few dozen people. They are the preferred way for most Nairobi residents get from point A to B. And they are a cheap ride. A one-way trip can cost as little as 20 Kenyan shillings - which is about 30 cents.  The routes are fixed, but the prices aren’t. If it’s rush hour, you pay more. If it’s raining, you pay more. If the roads are rough, you pay more. And if you’re a nervous journalist carrying a lot of recording equipment, you really pay more.

My matatu (that’s me poking my head out of the window there) is the Number 9. It’s fitted with a big screen television. There is a constant loop of music videos playing, and the screen is filled with young women in miniscule outfits dancing to hip-hop tracks. The music blares at full volume from the speakers on the bus. Needless to say, if you’re not a fan of hip-hop then this can be a serious assault on the senses.

This matatu is headed to Eastleigh, a Nairobi suburb that is home to the city’s sizable Somali community.  I strike up a conversation with the man and woman sharing the cramped seat with me. They’re both Somali. They roll their eyes when I ask them what they think about the “entertainment” on the screen in front of us. They tell me that after a long day at work they don’t like seeing the gyrating girls in short-shorts  on #9 bus big screen.

At least I think that’s what they’re telling me. The music is so loud that I’m mostly just lip reading.

The music seems to be more for the driver and and for the makangas.

The makangas are the bus conductors. They hang out of the side of the mini-vans, singing and swaying to the music. As conductors, they collect the fares from the passengers, and bang on the side of the bus to signal to the driver to stop for passengers. Here’s a video I shot with the Flip camcorder…to give you a sense of what a makanga does.

Makanga Moments: Mini-Bus Conductors in Nairobi from Clark Boyd on Vimeo.

The makanga on the #9 wants to help me with my photos. I hand over my camera and he jumps out to take pictures of the vehicle. As you can see, the matatus in Nairobi are pretty flashy. No need for Pimp My Ride here. The matatus are often covered in political or religious messages…or song lyrics. I ask the makanga about the face depicted on the front of this matatu. Turns out its an American rapper named Slim Thug.

And “Rep 4 Ma City Go Hard 4 tha Hood,” he tells me, are lyrics from one of Mr. Thug’s songs.

After an hour of crawling through rush hour traffic, I’m back in downtown Nairobi, safe and sound. Well, almost. My Kenyan friend and protector, Charles Chalo, tells me I should hand him my bag before we get off the matatu. Too many people have seen my recording equipment, he says. And it’s getting dark.

So I hand over my bag and let Chalo guide me back to my hotel. It’s only when we get back that I find out that Chalo has been pretty anxious about my matatu ride. He tells me he was robbed at gunpoint on a matatu just yesterday. He managed to hold onto his cell phone by dropping it onto the floor and keeping his foot carefully placed on top of it.

Nairobbery. Until next time.

Andrea traveled to Kenya in 2009 on an International Reporting Project Gatekeeper Editors Fellowship.

See also

• June 11, 2009 -- Reporter’s Journal: Snapshots of Kenya
• August 4, 2009 -- Kenyan graffiti artist Solo 7
• August 4, 2009 -- Reporter’s Journal: Snapshots of Kenya, Part V
• November 6, 2009 -- Tech Podcast 266: The Strange Case of Blogger Hossein Derakhshan