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Time has come for Kenya to change from singing “Kenya, hakuna matata” to “Kenya iko matata,” judging from the way our matatu vehicles are driven.
And, quite aptly, the matatu culture is apparently, not the only source of “matata,” but that is the subject for another day!
It would appear like either out of every five vehicles on the road at any one moment, three are matatus and all have developed a most detestable culture that has defied the police and all existing traffic rules since the departure of Mr John Michuki from the Transport ministry.
It is as though this transport business is so profitable that most rich Kenyans can afford a few matatus to share the runaway profits.
I am not the only observer who has witnessed many matatus refuse to stop at police roadblocks even after being signalled to do so. One simply wonders, who do those matatus belong to? Why, are their drivers exempted from obeying traffic rules?
A majority of Kenyans must have suffered the agony of driving behind two matatus along a dual carriageway without a chance to overtake any one of them because both vehicles occupy both lanes, and drive at the same speed, continuous hooting by the frustrated drivers not withstanding.
Statisticians will confirm that the recent increase in matatus on the roads has brought their proportion close to 70 per cent of the vehicles on the trunk roads and in all towns.
Congestion in the capital city in particular contributes greatly to fuel loss for no work/movement done, and, as some engineer told me recently, the type of congestion experienced on Thika Road between the Moi Sports Complex, Kasarani and Pangani, calculated at the rate of 4km for a minimum of three or four hours, could result in a loss of enough resources to complete at least one of the proposed bypasses in Nairobi.
BEYOND SUCH LOSSES, THERE ARE lesser but equally annoying public inconveniences caused by the emerging matatu culture.
Just in case the traffic police do not know, at every feeder road junction into a trunk road exists a permanent (but unofficial) matatu stop – no, a matatu road block!
And, along all trunk roads, there is not a single spot that cannot become a matatu stop.
Most recently, some city buses have joined the fray. Properly constructed bus stops are hardly used by commuters in recent times because the matatus drop or pick them at whatever point they want!
In Westlands, for example, matatus have “reformed” all traffic rules so that they can enter, stop, honk, and play loud ear-drum-bursting music inside the town in search of passengers without any sign of control by the traffic police.
Believe it or not, matatus, in their effort to maximise the day’s takings, will comfortably drive on the wrong side. Those going late into Nairobi have to mind not to have their cars “run over” by these matatas.
If the current trend is allowed to continue, the country might as well prepare for a matatu “take over” of all traffic routes in and out of Nairobi.
Where is the bottleneck? Nowhere as far as I can see.
Could the authorities responsible for grading performance contracting re-examine the position of the concerned ministry and tell us whether or not its 22nd position overall during the financial year 2006/2007 was justified, given the nauseating information contained herein.
Mr Nyamu is former member of the Electoral Commission of Kenya.
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