Discover NAIROBI: The Capital City of KENYA | 10 INTERESTING FACTS TO KNOW ABOUT IT
Nairobi, also referred to as the Green City in the Sun, is the capital city of Kenya. Nairobi is situated in the highlands of the South-Central part of Kenya, at an elevation of about 5500 feet.
It is the most populated city in Kenya. As of 2021, it has more than 4.9 million people while its metropolitan area has over 9 million residents. The city has grown extensively and is one of the cities in Africa that is edgy and creative.
Most cities around the world identify by their main mode of transport. London has red buses, New York has its taxi cabs while Nairobi has its matatus. Matatu is a slang term for minibuses that are used as public transportation in the country. Despite being a tad chaotic, these public buses and vans are the norm for the majority of the population in the city because they are cheap and convenient. Matatu drivers are also quick in dodging traffic jam and are notorious for breaking traffic rules.
Most matatus are built entirely from scratch, usually from the stripped chassis of a new truck. Fabricators then weld the skeletons and attach the panels. Once the blank canva is ready, matatu artists embellish the vehicles with graffiti, hand-painted portraits and bold designs. This makes them stand out. Graffiti on pop culture, music icons like hip hop artists and international pop stars, athletes and political icons and contemporary topics adorn the sides of the matatus. Matatus have flashy lights and onboard entertainment to pull crowds. Like rolling local radio stations, these minibuses play homegrown music at top volume promoting up and coming artists.
Matatu owners cough up a lot of money to ensure their vehicles are top class in order to beat competition and attract riders. So, they have good paint jobs, some have free onboard WiFi and flat screen televisions inside. The construction and customization of a new vehicle can cost upwards of $20,000 as it is mostly done by hand. They are a cultural phenomenon.
Just over a decade ago, the Kenyan
