Audio By Vocalize
On Thursday evening, six young people died after a matatu they were travelling in rolled along Enterprise Road in Nairobi’s Industrial Area. The pimped matatu, playing loud music and being driven recklessly had been shown on social media doing dangerous stunts on the road.
Several families have been plunged into grief, leaving a painful reminder that Kenya’s roads, particularly in Nairobi, have become killing fields. Lawlessness reigns and human life is treated as expendable. The rogue matatus and notorious “Nganya” culture should force Kenyans into serious reflection.
How many more lives must be lost before authorities act decisively? How many Kenyans must become statistics before the government confronts the monster it allowed to grow? For years, Nairobi residents have watched with frustration as sections of the matatu industry transform into a law unto themselves.
Reckless overtaking, speeding, loud music, dangerous stunts, intimidation of other motorists, disregard for traffic rules and open defiance of law enforcement have been normalised. What should be a public transport service has evolved into organised road anarchy.
