Public transport in Kenya

A wise man once said that “change is uncomfortable” and looking at the proposed changes that the new sheriff in Nairobi county, Governor Sakaja, is keen on bringing about in the city and how a big chunk of Nairobians are opposed to them it’s easy to see the meaning in that statement come to life.

Nairobi, or Kanairo as we like to call it, has for a long time been so freestyle and so full of chaos that anything goes! and it takes someone who has traveled outside this city and the country at large to realize just how much chaos we contend with.

Take the case of the notorious matatus for instance and the usual madness; “kubeba ni popote, kushukisha ni stage” (you can board from anywhere, but for alighting it has to be at the designated drop-off points)

A statement that is often said and exercised in the same breath as matatus are known for overlooking all traffic rules; carrying excess passengers, overlapping, driving on pavements and on the wrong side and stopping to pick and drop passengers just about anywhere even worse at the highways. It’s not uncommon on Thika road for instance to come across a matatau reversing on the highway so that it can join the service lane in an attempt to avoid traffic.

The increasing boba bodas have scaled up the matatu madness and are even worse and are now being used for crimes within the city.

Should we also talk about the hawkers who will encroach the pavements right in the city centre that there’s literally no path left to walk on! This goes to shops in residential areas that erect extensions on the pavements, leaving no pedestrian paths.

Oh and the Noisy nightclubs and churches that have raided our neighbourhoods as well and will not let you enjoy your nights in peace.

I’m therefore shocked when people are hostile to the attempts to get rid of these chaos all in the name of; “we will create unemployment” or  “who authorized in the first place”.

We definitely need a well-planned, clean and safe city where things work in order!

Sakaja Starts Crackdown on Night Clubs