Like always, I leave my house to catch the bus to Nairobi town. I live in eastlands, where all types of matatus know how to do what they do best, transport people to town with unpredictable fare hikes.

My mind can’t stop thinking of what am about to face this day. A vigorous day from the fierce transport means that Nairobi people have to face everyday. I have not enjoyed a good ride for months now since the last time I boarded one in town, that lavished matatu minibus going to kayole. It was to drop me in Doonholm I will never forget, I was already in deep sleep when someone knocked me while trying to alight and had to rush out too. It was so comfy, where did it go???. The most annoying being buruburu, bumpy minibus that has to be the latest model if it has to go that route and preferably controlled by the “homeboyz”. Oh my! the booming music is so loud that the metal cant take it and what about the ear drums? you develop tantrums and tinnitus if you have a habit of using them for transport everyday. Homeboyz bouncing minibus, you don’t wonna be anywhere near them.

The way they are driven, if you are not sited, you may be thrown out of the widow and ran over if not careful. And wait a minute, once you have paid the money is in their pockets, you no longer have a right to use the minibus the way you want. If it is time to leave the bus, do it as fast as possible or you and your feeble legs will have to suffer the consequences. The funny thing is, the young guys can’t board any other. You will get surprised that they are the biggest hit in town. And I almost forgot, this minibus can never follow the traffic jam! over their dead bodies. It will swing this way and that way taking advantage of every small space left by the generous ones and if you try to complain, you will be sorry you dared. No Michuki rules no more, that is gone case, case closed, rocked and the keys thrown away. Sad to say.

And today, I catch up with one of the minibuses, I expected to be thrown here and there before I sat down but no, that didn’t happen. I was respected, by this minibus conductor, and the fare, mmm.. quite cheap regardless of the high oil prices. So I thought to myself “may be they are just in a good mood today”. So I waited. The music was cool, classic, just my type, not loud, from whoever, the DVD was advertising the minibus as the best in Kayole route and thanking the passengers for being part of it. Well are they praising themselves before being praised, am just about to find out.

I ignored that feeling and said to myself, “may be they change sometimes. wow! they didn’t rush the lady on her way out, that’s fabulous!” You know you have to put up with the rush and hurry “faster faster” slogan that is a phobia every conductor bears sad to say. You wonder where they are hurrying to while the city jam is bumper to bumper four kilometers from town.

I thought it was only that lady they respected but I was wrong, these people specifically for this minibus really respect their passengers. Am talking about KBA 84x G, I wasn’t quick to read on the registration well. Inside, the slogans really caught my eye, “Good sense wins favor”, “Fear the Lord and turn away from evil”, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge”, “A man is not established by wickedness”. and what I had to say was. Wow! so good matatus ‘Nairobi shakers’ still exist ha! Kudos to that Matatu, no wonder that is why it is always full. We need to have more of these.

And all I have to say is that, now that Honorable Michuki is no longer the minister for transport, are we ever going to be respected as passengers unless the managers of the vehicles behave? If I were you I would talk more about the matatus and point out if their managers should seize their behaviors or congratulate the one that really deserves it. Thank you for reading my article.