It was in the month of June 2004 that my family moved to Matasia, Ngong. I was 9 years old, my sister 7. We were studying at Milimani primary school at Adams. My father made what I still consider to be a wise decision in letting us finish our studies in the relative familiar environment that was Milimani. The place still has some of my fondest and cringiest moments. However, there was a transportation problem. Not many children in Ngong studied in Nairobi. It was too far. School vans couldn't make the trip to Adams because of a few children. It was uneconomical. My father made another choice, which was that I was old enough to commute on my own, especially in the evenings. How my sister got home, I don't seem to remember. But this marked the beginning of my love affair with Manyangas.
Baby Chris
I used to wait for specific ones, standing at the stage for two hours, waiting for a matatu that might not even stop for us. Back then the fare to Ngong for students was Ksh. 20 for normal matatus, Ksh. 30 for manyangas. And I remember I'd pay the thirty shillings without batting an eye if it meant going home in what I considered style. This was also the beginning of my love with music, especially Hip Hop. There were Nissans such as Titleist and SoulFood, and matatus such as Purple Rain and Spank. This is a behavior that has stayed with me, and I don't see it going anywhere.
The Culture Itself
Manyanga culture is something of an identity for the city of Nairobi. I am aware that the city would look a lot more posh and organized without them, but I can't imagine Nairobi, and especially certain routes, without manyangas. Routes such as Rongai, and Umoja are practically married to manyangas. They provide an identity to these routes, a persona that we have come to expect. Add this to the fact that there's a large cohort of people who prefer the ruckus of manyangas to the quiet civility of plain matatus. For one, they move faster. This is most likely attributable to the fact that an awesome manyanga is expensive to acquire and maintain, and is therefore likely to be owned by some bigwig. Manyangas therefore enjoy a sheltered existence from the police, encouraging overlapping and peculiar routes to get to the destination faster. If you're running late, a manyanga is probably your best option.
Surrounding The Culture
The industry also provides employment to a large number of people in urban centers. The body fabricators, artists, electricians, mechanics and operators are all people who are making a living from this seemingly uncouth industry. And one cannot deny the creativity and talent that these people have. Every time you think a manyanga is the most extra it can be, some group of artists come out with something that blows your mind. The bodywork itself on some of these matatus is exceptional, albeit a little unsafe (the weight these manyangas have due to the bodywork sometimes bothers me. The proof is in how fast some deteriorate).
The Bad
There are some glaring problems with this culture, key among them being the hooliganism that accompanies the matatus. It is not an uncommon sight to see five people hanging from the door, with five random 'kamageras' just inside the matatu. Its an uncomfortable sight, and it should be condemned. Some of these matatus also tend to push the volumes too high, to the point of being uncomfortable. This also is not okay, given your customer should be your first priority. I also tend to think vehicle shaking music makes the vehicle deteriorate faster (vibrating vehicle parts that much cant be good for the car). What I'm not willing to endorse is the issue with fares. Anyone knows that these manyangas charge a premium. It is common knowledge. Therefore, as ignorant as it might sound, don't use them if you are price conscious. That is not the caliber of transportation for you (Unless the fares are stupidly high, and the situation is clearly exploitation). I'd personally pay a premium of Ksh. 30 to travel in a manyanga. That's just how i value my comfort. If you value yours differently, go where the service matches it.
But..
Taking away this culture would be depriving the city of a unique and awesome identity. Tokyo hasn't stopped its car culture from exercising their outrageous designs and events within the city. That's because it is a culture specific to that city, a culture that makes it especially unique and attractive to people within and outside the country. A little regulation will go a long way at ensuring hooliganism is under control, and SACCOs have the ability to provide specific standards of fares. Lets not use a hammer to kill what is essentially a fly. Lets protect our cultures. We've already lost too much.