Our choice, our chances

I have deliberately capitalized the second matatu to show you how this really works since most things do not just happen without reasons. Critically according to my grammar, capitalism at most means shouting and that's why these 'MATATUS' are connected to loud music, hooligan conductors and huge weird artistic images.

They are also known as 'Manyanga', operate at different routes within Nairobi city and with exceptions from President Uhuru Kenyatta to allow them have graffiti all over them. Compared to the past presidents one can notice them from far.

Kudos to the president, at least he is promoting jobs to jua kali art entrepreneurs but there is still a problem, the Ongata Line Sacco- six warning letters in 2016 and still no signs that something is being done with these MATATUS.

Let's get this right, no one wakes up in the morning to board a matatu so that they can listen to loud music and entertain rowdy conductors, most of us have sacrificed that sleep because of a certain motive either work or school.

I know you will still say you need something to entertain you during your travel given the hectic Kenyan traffic but personally that's not a factor, that’s why there is a reason why God created the world in an orderly manner and I believe it was to try and show humanity that there is time for everything just as you can't ride two horses at the same time.

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Music check, style check, fancy seats check etc. Don't you people see the deal is too good and start thinking twice? When I say 'twice' I mean looking on the other side of the deal, why should you have all these then still driven by drivers who chew khat and use weed? Why should you tolerate to be driven by different drivers at different stages? This is just like trying to eat different kind of food at once, end result is always vomiting. So put that in a driving perspective.

We are all humans and prone to mistake but if we keep doing the same mistake then it becomes a habit which is happening to these MATATUS. How recklessly have we seen them being driven and nothing is done? How many accidents have they caused then the next day they are on the road? How many scenes of rude conductors have you seen yet they behave as if there are no laws in the country? How many people have been over charged and yet they couldn't raise their voice? The habits are endless and it's only fear that makes this list limitless.

With all this, where do you still get the courage to trust them? Even after the proofs they try to inject in your eyes that they are ‘the government’ by misbehaving in front of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and when arrested there are anonymous orders from elites for their release.

Democracy, yes that is the word, we are powerful than the government because we are the government, we are the ones who can make "these" people pay for their mistakes and not repeat them by reconsidering our choices. We all have a choice which is either to live or die and I believe no one would wish to die earlier than their days anyway.

I am not trying to dissuade anyone from their choice of matatu, what I am trying to philosophize is that the drivers of these MATATUS and their ilk to be careful with their customers. They should put into considerations that in that vehicle there are families, parents, students, children, relatives etc. and so if something happens to them, how do you expect their loved ones to have peace with the same MATATUs that will be on the same road the next day and the day afterwards?

Remember we only have one life and plenty of MATATUS! So where do you fall?