The 'matatu'

On the second day I managed to get to the matatu area all by myself without any mistakes. This photographic memory of mine does come in handy now and then :-). But of course, I took the wrong one. Before we left I dubbel checked the number, because the sidekick was repeatedly shouting 40 and I had to be on number 48. So I asked the lady next to me and she assured me I was on number 48 and that the number he mentionned was the price. But, it appears there are multiple directions to Kileleshwa. At least I got to see Riverside drive now, a route full of embassies. The Belgian one is not situated over there by the way, but is located near the UN Headquarters at the East side of town. No need to panic, I remembered that is how I got to know Izmir in those days :-D.

The matatu is a means of local transport. At the entry point in town it does not leave untill it is full. Once on the road it picks up people and drops people off on a fixed route. It can take up to 12 passengers. I've seen it before in other parts of the world. In Turkey it is called a dolmuş, in South America this kind of transport is a car instead of a bus. There are some differences though. Some of those Kenian buses have a television screen and an incredible sound system! Others are silent. And the sidekick (who collects people before leaving and the bus fee while driving) tabs you on the shoulder to signal that it is time to pay.

It is always some kind of couleur locale, because it is usually filled with more passengers than vacant places. Not in Nairobi. A few years ago there was a new guideline (law) voted that says the driver should have a certificate of good conduct, both the driver and his sidekick should wear a uniform, there are no more passengers allowed than seats and the driver should wear a seat belt. The matatu-workers refused, but they had to compete with the commuters who WALKED from their homes to work for THREE months. So, although striking on the street is prohibited one can call this a form of silent, yet effective protest, because it worked! The downside: there are more matatus which causes an even bigger traffic jam in the morning. But then again, as a city you could think twice when you see all of these cars with only one driver. They told me more and more people can afford to buy a vehicle. Together with the fact that just recently they can purchase second handed imported cars from Japan for instance, this causes a roadblock between 7 and 8 am. Clean air in Nairobi town? Hmmmm....