How to Earn Money in Matatu Industry

"with the introduction of zamabaza, a Matatu could carry up to twenty five passengers. In turn, the tout could collect double the amount of money in one trip"

Piece of wood between Matatu seats.

Small capacity matatus – a fourteen seater taxi van, four seater taxi van (probox), on most roads have improvised an extension seat, zambaza to increase their capacity. The board was introduced between seats in the past fives.

A fourteen-seater matatu plying kericho-sondu road, with introduction of zamabaza, could carry up to twenty five passengers. In turn, the tout could collect double the amount of money in one trip. The normal capacity has three seats in a row. An extension adds one passenger, making a total of four passengers in a row.

The zambaza was introduced into the matatus when the Michuki law quieted. “It is used to bring more money. It is very expensive to operate a matatu business. Incase of a problem, you must have money –there are problems on the road anytime,” a tout said.

Passengers, in a rush hour, may ask to cling to the parts of the van, just to reach home. A driver said, “Passengers want it. There is pressure from the passengers to transport them. No one complains.”

Overloaded van at high is worrisome. Passengers expect to reach their destination crammed in a van. It has become the traffic norm to travel in the boot, and to travel in an off-balance, lying-on-the-right-side van.

Traffic police have roadblocks and road checks. But the exercise escapes them. When overloaded vans approach the roadblock, the tout ask the extra passengers to walk on foot –they do not complain, the van would wait for them after the traffic roadblock. No wonder: more people are on foot around the roadblocks.

Despite the super normal profits, the practice is dangerous. Mosoibei, matatu operating kericho-sondu route, had an accident last year. Temuge, a tout at time, said that: “it was Saturday. And there were few matatus on the road to transport the many passengers. We had crammed the van and over sped in order to come in time for the second trip. But, fifty metres from Kapsoit-Sondu junction, we bumped into a Land cruiser. We lost some passengers.”

Although there are traffic police on the roads carrying out constant checks, still there are a lot of accidents. Ruto, a passenger said, “an extension is meant to bring in more money.” Unlike other routs, Kericho-Sondu road are plied by few matatus. But again the passengers’ will to be crammed into the vans, and want for more money have motivated the practice.