By Mitasha Chatterjee
Matatus, Kenya’s most famous and popular public transport system, watching and riding these matatus is quite an experience and can really be addictive. I would be waiting eagerly and anticipating what colour the next one will be. Jazzy pink? Shimmering Green or ravishing Purple? Will it be coming flaunting the face of a well-known celebrity? Che Guevara or Elvis Presley or Bob Marley or Charlie Chaplin or Maradona, or the famous Kenyan singers like Octopizzo or Khaligraph Jones? Or maybe there will be an excerpt of some Japanese anime, painted on the whole outer body of the Matatus, or popular bible verses, or even a graphical expression of some socio-political issue?
Booming music, colourful seats, neon lights, pictures of Masai cricketers or popular cartoon characters on the interior roof and wall would welcome you to the magical world of Matatus. From Maroon 5 to popular Kenyan rappers to local DJs playing Bollywood music, the beats and rhythms from every corner of the world are an integral part of the pulsating world of Kenyan Matatus.
As a passenger, you will definitely forget that you are just sitting inside a minibus with the very basic purpose of commuting from one point to another, or probably to run some errand as part of your mundane life.
For an art lover, it is a moving Art Gallery, an invigorating visual experience, for some it’s a discotheque on wheels, vibing in the rhythm of young Kenya and for local artists it’s the liberating, bold, honest expression of the underground hip-hop art culture of Kenya. Thousands of these matatus dominate the dusty roads of big cities like Nairobi and Mombasa and some other bigger towns in Kenya, probably the most phenomenal visual of Kenya’s urban landscape.
Matatus were introduced in the 1970s to meet the increasing demand for public transport in big Kenyan cities, different-sized minibuses converted to share taxis, colourful and decorated in a traditional way, a privately owned public transport system. There are lots of stories about how Matatus became the Urban Icon of Kenya. According to the locals, the most popular story involves a young Nairobian called Mohamed Kartarchand Bagatiram Rala Ram, popularly identified as Moha. In 2004, he painted a matatus, known as “Ganja farm”, which became a hit, broke the idea of traditional-looking Matatus, and slowly experimental and individualistic matatus art became a “thing”.
Those “pimped up” matatus were more in demand, mainly young passengers were ready to pay more to get into those jazzed-up matatus than the regular ones. Economy and art certainly gained a symbiotic relationship in this world of Matatus. Some super enthusiastic artists even painted the windows of Matatus, which became a danger for road safety and thus ultimately led to a ban on Matatus art for several years, but in 2015, the ban was lifted and Matatus art had a triumphant return.
A whole generation of young artists is dedicated to this Matatus designing and painting Matatus. Calif, Rongai, and Embakasi are the creative districts of Nairobi, known for some popular Matatus artists. With big garages, laptops, spray paints, young artists wait to explore their creativity, to get their art out for the consumption of the general public. Among the locals, these unique and customized matatus are also known as Nganya.
There are annual Ngayna awards for best Mataus, as well as for the crews and technicians. There is even a video game based on the Matatus culture, called “Matwana Madness”.
It is only fitting that these artistically customized Matatus also have some distinctive names, matching their unique style, names like Twisted Herbs, Batman, After Math, or El Padrino. Some of them became legendary, like “Rolling Stone” from Route 58. Sometimes young people travel this route just to experience a ride in “Rolling Stone”. Another latest addition is “Mood”, a matatus with incredible graphics and a live DJ powered by solar panels.
We live in an era of over exposure, everything we want to see, we have already seen hundreds of times in the digital world but still every time I traveled, I have found there is always something in every corner of the world which has surprised me, every time I managed to gather some experience which I had never Imagined of. As for me, Kenya will always be about the intriguing and captivating world of Matatus art, grilled Nile Tilapia, and sweet, pulpy fresh mango juice.
