Matatu

A matatu is a privately owned minibus operated as a share taxi in Kenya, historically the archetypal matatu being a decorated Japanese microvan, though larger bus-sized vehicles have become increasingly common since around 2015 and most in service today run on diesel. Matatus dominate urban public transport in Kenya, accounting for more than seventy percent of commuter trips in major cities such as Nairobi, typically running fixed routes and staffed by a driver together with a conductor known locally as a makanga or manamba. Beyond transportation, matatus have become a distinctive part of urban Kenyan culture, particularly the elaborately customized nganya vehicles decorated with celebrity murals, LED lighting, video screens and loud sound systems that express youth identity and creativity; the term also appears, less centrally, in parts of Nigeria.