Pimping Out Matatus

(White) Jesus Boda

I noticed something awesome about a month into my visit here that I feel like sharing briefly now.

It started with an early morning work commute when I first noticed a Jesus Boda. This boda was wrapped with numerous pictures of Jesus all over its exterior - on the wheels, on the front, on the side, by the wheels. The boda was pimped out with Jesus! And, more perplexingly, a white Jesus (I could have sworn he was black or Arab?).

I began looking for bodas with fun, elaborate designs while we drove to work in the morning. I was audibly delighted whenever we drove past fun designs, and my driver friend Calvin let me know that this was actually quite common in Kenya, and especially for matatus. 

Sure enough - I started noticing that the matatus have incredible, vibrant designs on them. Many of the matatu designs were flashy and brightly painted - many include Drake, Rihanna, P.Diddy, and other celebrities I don't recall. Some of these matatus blast music that can deafen bystanders while driving past, while others install movie screens on their seatbacks. I wondered why.

Luckily, Calvin could explain it all. There's a culture of pimping out vans here, and for good reason; the fancier your matatu is, the more passengers you get. The more passengers you get, the faster your matatu gets filled up. The faster your van gets filled, the more trips you can run in a day. The more trips you can run in a day, the more money you can make. And when this chain reaction happens, you end up kind of winning at the matatu hustle.

Matatus look for different ways to pimp out their rides. Some install the movie screens in the seatbacks because passengers become willing to pay more for their ride if they are entertained while stuck in traffic. Others blast the music to give the air of a mobile night club (with flashing lights, of course), to entice some passengers to feel like their commute is a fun party.

It all costs a lot of money - Calvin estimated that some people can spend $10,000+ to pimp out their matatus. But, if done well, a matatu can recover the costs of the "pimping out" within a year. And the nicer matatus tend to have better drivers (because they can pay them more), which means even better odds they'll fill up with people willing pay for their services.

And there are even competitions for who has the fanciest, most pimped out matatu, which can get the winning vehicle a nice pot of money. I've seen a few Facebook groups that simply admire the amazing decor of some matatus, and I have to say - I'm always impressed with the flamboyancy of them.

Of course, some matatus are simple vehicles - utilitarian. I guess they have really popular routes, so they may not need to focus on the fancy frills of matatu culture (or they just can't afford to decorate).

Nairobi is brimming with matatus, and I think someone could have a really fun time making a photo album of all of the unique, colorful matatus and bodas here. I don't think that will be me, though (I'm never ready with a camera); I'd be happy to pay for that coffee table book, though!

Note: It took me 2 more months before I found (white) Jesus boda again so I could take a picture of the guy with his bike after grocery shopping. The picture delights more more than I can express.