Matatus are the most common means of transportation in Kenya. These individually owned minibuses are affordable and accessible, departing from designated places called stages or stopping when passengers signal from the roadside. Vehicles leave when full, although the account emphasizes that “full” is flexible and may include people, goats, chickens, and far more passengers than the vehicle was designed to carry.

Each matatu is operated by at least a driver and a tout, or makanga. The makanga announces the destination, persuades passengers to board, collects fares, signals requested stops, opens and closes the sliding door, and helps fit passengers and belongings into the vehicle. The work is especially associated with young men and is described as a coveted, prestigious job for teenagers who perform it well.

The system is lively but dangerous. Bright paint and loud music accompany fast, sometimes erratic driving, while overloaded vehicles move slowly and create unsafe conditions. Drivers commonly pay bribes to police officers who stop them for carrying more than twenty people in minibuses designed for seven, and makangas may compete aggressively for passengers or attempt to overcharge them.