Matatus are Kenya’s bus/taxi system. Pick the craziest public transportation line in your American city and the Matatu will kick its ass. It took only 1 ride on a Matatu for me to realize that I must write about it. This series is called “Matatu Tales” and its where I will share stories that will scare, shock, and leave you in complete disbelief…but it is all true.
Ride#1
Next to me: A lady openly breastfeeding her, in my opinion too old, child.
In front of me: A lady riding with her live chicken.
Behind me: I suppose I didn’t set the scene and I’ll need to for this one to have any relevance. We were on a 40 passenger van with about 70 passengers (some human some animal)…this was achieved by filling each seat and then a packed standing walkway. A guy from the back had to get off at a stop and had to get extremely intimate with several passengers (many PCTs) to make it to the front.
Around me: Passing a security stop point and all the standing passengers are instructed to squat as if they’re sitting.
Craziest passenger award: The matatu-vangelist who came in, walked to the front and gave a complete sermon in Kiswahili.
Teespoon of Peace 