Sky-high living cost puts brakes on upcountry Christmas travel

Unlike previous festive seasons, where public transport often witnessed travel crises in Nairobi, this year has been different, with fewer travellers turning up to journey upcountry.

In the past, the holiday season would see overcrowding within the Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) termini in the capital as city residents made last-minute attempts to travel and celebrate Christmas and New Year festivities with their loved ones.

However, a spot check by The Standard revealed that there were limited activities within the PSVs stages for key destinations across the country, including Western, Central, and Eastern regions.

At OTC, drivers of matatus plying the Nairobi-Thika-Murang’a route were engaged in lengthy conversations as it was taking longer than usual to fill their vehicles.

“The drivers are idle because there is little to keep them engaged. The number of passengers is not as many compared to previous years,” said Richard Munyalo, an MTN Sacco stage attendant.

According to Munyalo, the number of trips the matatu Sacco makes per day has reduced to half compared to previous years.

“Previously, we would have this stage crowded, with travellers scrambling to book seats, but today (Sunday), it’s almost empty,” he said.

Similar situations were also observed at Machakos Country Bus, which remained largely deserted for most of the day, with only a handful of travellers waiting for the buses to fill.

“Most people only come to inquire about fares and then turn back,” said bus attendant Jared Ochieng, expressing surprise. “I have never seen this since I started working here.”

However, the hike in fares, often associated with the peak season, was evident. Many travellers lamented the increased fares.

For instance, passengers travelling from Nairobi to the Western parts of the country had to pay between Sh2,200 and Sh3,000, up from the usual Sh1,500.

“The fare is a lot; it’s too costly,” said John Onyango, who was travelling to Migori. He insisted that he “must travel back to the village” despite the hike in travel costs.

For passengers travelling to Murang’a and Nakuru, they had to pay Sh100 more than the normal fare.

Those travelling from the capital to Eldoret are paying upwards of Sh1,700, up from Sh1,200.

The high cost of living has been blamed for the low upcountry travel numbers, which often take social media by storm, with cases of traffic snarl-ups and limited vehicles causing inconvenience to travellers.

“The economy is frustrating; there is a high rate of unemployment and an unconducive business environ

ment,” said John Mungai, a driver.

“Matatu owners and auctioneers are on our necks because, with few travellers, we cannot remit the required cash,” he added.

They expressed hope that 2025 will be a promising year.

Some travellers also took issue with the taxation regime, which they claimed had eroded their purchasing power. “This is painful because I still have school fees to pay come January,” said Belinda Wafula, who was travelling to Busia.

Matatu Owners Association President Albert Karakacha said that the reduced pump prices in the latest review would not be reflected in fares, noting that the cost of maintaining vehicles had risen.