Today, there are more leaders in Kenya who owe their true allegiance to the matatu-bandit politico-economy than those who stand for a national agenda.
They are Cabinet secretaries, MPs, governors, MCAs and members of other government agencies such as the armed forces.
The Kenya Bus Service was pushed out of the city in spite of having been the envy of our neighbouring countries as an efficient and effective urban transport system. The termini were taken over by Mungiki as the Traffic police and City askaris gave way and, more often than not, offered ancillary armed support.
The City Environment staff were replaced by street children, who, having evolved into organised crime groups and recognised as city CBD families, now charged for use of public toilets.
In the outlying estates and emerging informal settlements, the matatu politicians established cartels that pushed out the City Council from the control of the supply of essential services.
The matatu politics and the bandit economy have now become two sides of the same coin and reinforce each other in the ever dynamic and always growing Kenyan democracy.
Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga once said, “Kenya is run by mafia-style cartels of political chiefs in cahoots with corrupt business people similar to the Al Capone mob in 1920s America and this cartel collects millions every day.”
These cartels have since morphed into more sophisticated business leaders of counterfeit trade, expanding their networks by controlling the illegal supply of social services and thus subverting the county and national government activities.
According to the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, the counterfeit economy is worth Sh1.2 billion annually, and the proceeds of this illicit trade are used to support politicians in a big way.
“These businessmen are the ones moving the economy but outside of the Kenya Revenue Authority regime and have a stranglehold over other government enforcement agencies.” The political class operating on the rules of the matatu culture are at their beck and call.
The alliance between the matatu politics and the bandit economy patronise the tenderpreneurship enterprise as the dominant mode of business operation in this country.
Matatu business is the worst… First you can’t do 30trips, traffic police, Rada people, kanjo, cartels, sacco money, seat fillers, squadi people are all going to eat that money… Unless some brave nationalist leader emerges to challenge the hegemony of this cartel, Kenya will sooner than later drop any pretenses to the Independence vision and warmly embrace the allure of the bounties of this criminal syndicate.