It’s quieter than usual this Monday at 6:30am onboard the matatu, Nairobi’s ubiquitous minibus. The air hangs heavily over the silent carriage; most commuters are on their phones. Others are resting their foreheads on the glass panes, watching the city pass by. Some lucky ones have nodded off, closing their eyes as the wheels of the matatu rumbles rhythmically over each pothole, carrying the weight of their fatigue. As if unsettled by the eerie calm, the driver turns on the radio: the sound of R&B fills the void, softening its edge.

Matatu A Swahili term that originates from the word tatu, meaning “three”, a reference to the original flat 30 cent (KSh) bus fare from the 1970s, paid with three 10 cent coins.

Then, as always, the music cuts. It’s replaced by the booming voice of a news presenter, who greets her audience before diving into the latest controversy: “Have you seen today’s headlines on Daily Nation? The Social Health Authority (SHA) lost 11 billion shillings to fraud in six months!” The passengers begin to stir; some are shifting in their seats, eyeing one another as the atmosphere thickens with tension. Without missing a beat, the presenters move on to play the cabinet secretary’s response to the scandal: “You know the media better than me – screaming headlines sell. If you say the SHA is working, it will not sell!”