Kenyans Debate About Expensive Matatu Routes: "Bondo To Kisumu KSh 400"

• Kenyans online shared how much matatu saccos plying the routes within which they commute charge them per trip
• Residents of Uasin Gishu and Nandi county argued that matatu saccos plying the Eldoret-Kapsabet route were overcharging them
• Others commuting between Kisumu city and Bondo town said the matatu owners were charging them exorbitantly

Michael Ollinga is a journalist at TUKO.co.ke with over 10 years of experience covering courts and crimes, special reports, and current affairs in Kenya.

Transport costs are a core part of every Kenyan's expenditure, whether in urban or rural areas.

Matatu fares in Nairobi

However, the burden of transport costs for Nairobi metropolitan dwellers is so significant that it determines where individuals choose to reside or look for work.

It is common for individuals to use bus fare or fuel cost estimates to determine the places they live, as this also determines the amount of rent they will pay.

Areas close to Nairobi Central Business District where the bus fare to the city core is affordable have to part with more money for rent.

The closer one lives to the CBD or areas like Westlands, where many organisations have offices, the more rent they will pay.

Rent prices in Nairobi Metropolitan

In areas far away from Nairobi CBD, like Rongai, alias The Diaspora, residents have to pay more bus fare, though fair rent prices compensate for this.

However, this is not automatically the case as demand for housing increases, and employers adopt hybrid or working-from-home approaches.

Therefore, balancing fare and rent is essential to city dwellers' budgets.

With the devolution dispensation, many areas with few individuals courtesy of rural-to-urban migration have experienced increased populations due to job and investment opportunities.

This development saw many Kenyans having to commute within their counties or even across counties for work and business, reviving the matatu sector, a preferred and affordable means of transport for many.

On Wednesday, April 17, some Kenyans started a debate on social media to determine which routes they found expensive.

In general, Nairobi residents and other Kenyans shared some of their experiences and explained why they felt some matatu companies' fare pricing was exorbitant.

Expensive matatu routes

Ben Benson, who commenced the discussion on Facebook, said he felt the fare between Eldoret and Kapsabet was exaggerated.

"The most expensive route in Kenya is Kapsabet-Eldoret. The fare is KSh 250," Benson said.

The distance between Eldoret and Kapsabet is approximately 46 kilometres.

Jon K. Jons agreed with Benson over the matter, saying the matatu operators along that route should be mindful of ordinary Kenyans.

"I once said this thing, and my fellow Nandis were all over me. Imagine from Eldoret to Kitale it is KSh 250. Moreso, Eldoret to Bungoma is KSh 300 despite that distance. Eldoret to Chavakali is between KSh 250 and KSh 350, depending on one's bargaining," Jons lamented.

John Lelei echoed the two Kenyans'' sentiments.

"You have done well to expose that route. I am always complaining about that price. It is a distance worth KSh 150. They just want quick money for nothing," Lelei said.

Another Nairobi resident said he usually felt extorted when matatu conductors charged him KSh 50 to commute from the General Post Office (GPO) stage to the Community Bus Stage.

"Travelling from GPO to Community Bus Stage and paying KSh 50 is daytime robbery. The place is 10 minutes walking distance," Sammie Njue argued.

Philip Baba Esperanza Nyabera argued that the Kisumu-Bondo route was costlier.

"Kisumu-Bondo is by far the most expensive and the worst! They'll comfortably charge you KSh 400 or more for a distance of 50 km, and those vehicles are always overloaded," Nyabera said.

According to Travel Math, the distance between Kisumu and Bondo was approximately 87 kilometres.

Dagaye Bryan was gracious with matatu owners, saying the terrains across which the vehicles commute explain why short distances with hilly terrain could be costlier.

He also pointed out that gangs that run bus stages determine how much matatu owners will charge as fare to end up with some profit at the end of the trip.

"Do you consider the terrain? Some areas are flat; others are hilly. Some bus parks are controlled by gangs, you part with a lot of cash before you start the journey," he explained.

This comes even as fuel costs in the country continued to decrease amidst a strengthening shilling pitted against the US dollar.