Bus companies in Kenya face the same glory, tragedy

The business of running bus companies in Kenya started in earnest in 1934 when the London based, Overseas Transport Company (OTC) introduced 13 buses to serve 12 routes in Nairobi Town. The company partnered with the Nairobi Municipality and came up with an efficient commuter transport system that served Nairobians until it was brought down by cartels at the beginning of the millennium. By that time, it had changed hands from OTC to Stagecoach then to Kenya Bus Services Ltd. The company died.

Back then, there was a long transport bus service called Overseas Transport Company (OTC) that had a relationship with Kenya Bus Services. Their buses were household names in the entire East African region with a hub in Nairobi. Buses would go to Dar-es-Salaam, Arusha, Kampala, Jinja, Tanga and Morogoro through other small towns. The buses were efficient, clean and responsible.