Rough ride for female Makangas in the male-dominated matatu industry

Millicent Chebii and Caroline Chebet search for customers at the Kapsabet bus stage. {Peter Ochieng/Standard}

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the number of women venturing into the public transport sector.

The tough economy has driven many women into sectors that have traditionally been male dominated.

With the slogan “What a man can do, a woman can do better,” women have been tirelessly striving to gain recognition in male-dominated fields. However, their efforts are often met with significant challenges, forcing them to develop resilience to avoid falling victim to exploitation by their male counterparts.

During an interview with veteran matatu operators, I met Mwangi, a 37-year-old Super Metro driver, who I had first encountered as a passenger. In the course of our conversation, he expressed concern over the alarming rate at which his colleagues were passing away.

He recalled joining the industry in 2007 when it was more profitable and faced less competition than it does today. This piqued the interest of The Nairobian, to understand the challenges women face in the matatu sub sector. Mwangi, also known as Mwas, agreed to be interviewed on the condition that his identity remained concealed.

He first noted that while women’s efforts may seem straightforward, many face numerous hurdles that require them to develop a thick skin to survive or risk falling victim to their male counterparts.

He explained that at that time, there were fewer women in the transport industry, and those who were fortunate enough to be involved were often relegated to office duties.

Narrating his journey, Mwangi said his first role was as a tout, a position he held for a year and a half before upgrading to a driver on Thika road where he worked for two years before all Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) were compelled to form Saccos to instill order.

Colleagues death

He later switched to other routes before landing an opportunity with Super Metro. After working for over a decade in the industry, Mwangi noted that the presence of female touts began to increase, with their numbers rising significantly after the Covid-19 pandemic, which led many people to lose their jobs.

Questioning the cause of his colleague’s deaths, Mwangi explained that many are succumbing to the stigma associated with discovering they have contracted HIV, which he attributes to the cycle of partner-sharing involving a female tout.

Alarmed by this high rate of matatu crews dying and broken marriages, Mwangi reveals, a number of Saccos halted hiring of female touts.

“It’s common in our industry that for a woman to last and earn a decent wage, she must conform to the traditions by either becoming the ‘wife’ or ‘girlfriend’ of the driver,” Mwangi explains.

Woe unto women who refuse to be part of such relationships; they usually face much frustration that eventually forces some to quit.

“As soon as a woman joins this industry, there are certain individuals who get the first opportunity, and then others follow,” says Mwangi lifting the lid on how the chaotic industry treats female employees.

“Personally I wouldn’t want any of my female relatives to join this sector, it’s a death trap,” he notes.

Mwangi, who feels strongly about the issue, says that if it were not for his discipline, he might have been one of those who had long since passed away.

“When I joined the Sacco, there was a beauty who was stationed at Mlolongo, she joined as a tout and almost everyone was eyeing her, months later the lady had been sexually misused and no one wanted anything to do with her,” recounts Mwangi.

What followed was that the lady was dismissed, and with a lowered self-esteemed, she got hooked to drug after she learnt that she had been infected.

Supporting Mwangi’s views, Hilda Atieno, a single mother of two ventured into the industry four years ago, but her experience remains as vivid as ever.

Stereotypes

When she first joined, her driver colleague was extremely kind and supportive. “He would cover for me when I was late due to family issues. But once he revealed his intentions and I refused, things began to fall apart,” says Atieno.

According to Hilda, the driver started assigning ‘vijana wa squad’ as known in the transport sector, a move that gradually edged her out.

“This job you get paid according to the efforts made per day so if you miss out, it means you going home empty handed,” she says.

Being in between the rock and a hard place, she was either to give in or quit. “Other women were so used to it; they no longer saw it as sexual assault because of social attitudes and stereotypes about women. And because they do not speak about it or publicly condemn it, the abuse remains hidden and deeply rooted,” states Atieno revealing that as a woman, she has faced a lot of challenges especially with male colleagues who majority have ulterior motives. She said she once tried, and unfortunately, the relationship never ended well as she sacked immediately the guy was done with her.

Mercy Wanjiru is another female tout with her own fair share of experience. She has passion in fashion and design but the financial constrains prevented her from joining college.

She initially tried her hand at a white-collar job but soon found herself working as a cleaner at the airport, a position that did not last long. After being out of work for four months, a friend hinted to her of an opportunity at a well-known matatu sacco, which she applied for and successfully secured.

“I got the job and went through the training, but at first, I was worried about how people, especially my family, would perceive me. My second concern was how to interact and win over customers,” recalls Wanjiru.

At just 27, with big dreams ahead, she quickly mastered the skills required for the job. However, the challenges started when her colleague started showing sexual advances, which she was not prepared for.

“He was way older than me, besides, I used to see him as my boss whom I respected most,” she says of one of the drivers who made the first approach. Wanjiru shared that despite the age gap, the man pursued her until she became so frustrated and being in need of cash, she had to compromise her dignity to keep her job.

“What hurts me most is that he not only infected me with STIs but also HIV, completely ruining my life. By November, I will be turning 36, but there’s nothing to celebrate. I’m now living a life of let tomorrow take care of itself because, I feel I have no future,” she regrets.

Wanjiru, who was let go from her job a year ago, now survives by helping drivers fill their vehicles with passengers at various stages, earning Sh50 or Sh20 per vehicle.

Struggling with drug addiction, she expressed deep remorse for ever choosing to enter the matatu industry.

Workplace romances

“I joined a healthy person full of ambitions but now I’m a shell of myself. No one wants to associate with me, even getting a partner who will accept me with this status is almost impossible unless I find a fellow tout whose status aligns with mine,” says Wanjiru. According to the female touts, Saccos have not made life easier for them as officials often fail to protect them against sexual exploitation.

Interestingly, some matatu drivers like Daniel Muli, are pleased with a recent court ruling that prohibits employers from banning romantic relationships among employees.

A few days ago Justice James Rika of the Employment and Labour Relations emphasized that romantic relationships at work should be left to their own natural course.

“Nothing is more degrading than for a third party, an employer, to inter meddle in a love relationship between two consenting adults,” argued the judge.

According to Muli, the court ruling has now made it official for them to enjoy what they love most. “Workplace romances are perfectly fine and shouldn’t be policed by employers, I am just quoting what the judge said. This trend is not only in matatu sector but cuts across, the difference being that in the matatu industry, one lady can have an affair with almost the entire Sacco team,” he explains.

In his view, efforts should be made to encourage matatu crew to use protection since many are ignorant about safe sex. Having been in the industry for quite sometime, Muli has witnessed a number of colleagues neglecting their family responsibilities to pursue relationships ending up in poor health and staring at death.

Albert Karakacha, chairperson, Matatu Owners Association, confirmed existence of sexual exploitation of female touts, citing a case which his office solved amicably last year.  

He urged female touts to remain vigilant and report any matter connected to sexual harassment, emphasizing that women rights must be protected at all costs.

“So far, they are trying to discourage love affairs among staff, as it is likely to affect their performance, We are  engaging the government to create training programmes targeting drivers and touts to raise awareness about sexual harassment and responsible behaviour,” said Karakacha.