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Genesis of chaos: How Nairobi's public transport system collapsed

Kenya Bus Service (KBS) started to operate a road commuter service in Nairobi in 1934. [Photo: Courtesy]

Public transport in Nairobi took a nosedive after the fall of scheduled bus services by the Kenya Bus Service and Nyayo Bus Services around the mid-1990s. This opened the door to the introduction of privately-owned matatus and marked the beginning of chaos in the sector.

With the rapid increase in population, a number of matatus came up to help fill the gap. With this came exploitation and disorder.

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