Kenyan mathrees had to join Saccos, not because they wanted to, but the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) made it compulsory so as to among others things, keep a tab on the rogue ones. This scenario led to the registration of hundreds of Sacco sporting names depending on their routes. While some were predictable, others got pretty weird names that would make the mother in-law blush...
1. Juthi
From sober angle, this is just a Sacco of matatus plying the Juja, Thika route hence ‘juthi’ and its environs but cheeky folks in the industry usually pronounce it with an ‘N’ before ‘J’ and the ‘I’ as an ‘E’ and the result is a name that describes the male ‘dudu’ for those who hail from Central Kenya. ‘Juthi’ also means ‘flywhisk!’ though.
2. Kazana
This is Swahili word for ‘work hard’ or ‘struggle’ but on the flipside, mathrees plying the Kari, Zambezi and Kinoo route have their Sacco name causing chuckles as it either means they are struggling class and ‘kazana’ also has a sexual connotation...
3. Nakamata
Just like number two above, this is another Swahili word loosely translating to ‘I’m holding it’ but this registered Nakuru route has been linked by makangas to mean holding a man’s ‘gear stick.’
4. Manga
Manga in Sheng might mean ‘to eat’ and ion other naughty circles it means to break the seventh commandment and thus directing your digital mother in-law to this route within Kisii mighty be tricky.
5. Dix Hult
This Kariobangi, Outering, Eastleigh and Huruma mathrees in Nairobi can make someone executing a sleep of the tongue to be mistaken as someone describing matters below the belt!
6. Usenge
People who hail from Kisum city understand this as just another name of mathrees shuttling the Bondo-Usenge route but for outsiders mostly from Pwani and the likes, this Sacco name can easily be twisted to er...mean a guy who is a ‘twin sim’ or shoga.
7. Indimanje
This route can be easily mistaken for the name of a village in rural Kisii, but it’s just umbrella of Industrial Area-Imara Daima and Mukuru kwa Njenga route...hehehe!
8. Pakin Alicia
This Sacco might make one think it’s the name of place in Trump’s America or the name of some pricey food in five star hotels and guys at NTSA might have been shocked by this Nairobi, Kikuyu and Dagoretti route.
9. Eleventh Hour
This is an expression connoting doing things in the last minute but this Sacco comprise mathrees plying the Kiserian, Rongai, Kenyatta and Railways route.
10. Sema Stage
As if to prove that Saccos and route directors coined some names in hurry to comply with the law, some names do not really make much sense or relate with routes like this Sacco for mathrees along the Nairobi, Emali, Mtito-Andei route which go by the mouthful name: Sema Stage Minibus Owner!
