| February 4, 2004
Updates from Kenya
When you hear the words “seat belts,” what comes
to mind? This week throughout the entire country of Kenya, “seat
belts” means closed schools, thousands of people walking
long distances in droves, trains filled past capacity—even
past human capacity to squeeze any more on top, in front, behind,
in doorways, through windows, on sides—businesses disrupted,
chaos, and optimism!
On Sunday, February 1, a new ruling took effect, and this time
the Kenyan government refuses to compromise in any detail. Any
public transport on the roads must be equipped with seat belts
and speed governors (which prohibit a vehicle going over a certain
speed). In addition, only the number of passengers equal to the
number of seats/seatbelts will be allowed to enter the vehicle.
This is quite radical. Once last year I was in a 12-passenger
van crossing the city, and I decided to peer through the elbow
across my forehead to count the number of humans being transported.
At least of those whom I could actually see, there were 30 of
us, yes, 30 people crushed into the van, including the six with
rear ends hanging out the sliding side door. Now, any vehicle
which does not conform to “one passenger to one seat”
will be removed from the roads and heavily fined.
Though this new ruling was announced last October, which was
followed in November with a two-day disastrous strike by all “matatus”
(mini-buses and vans owned privately but used for public transport),
only 3,000 of the 44,000 Nairobi matatus managed to comply
by February 1. It must be granted that only during the last week
of January were the official government-approved speed governors
announced, but still, vehicle owners were not pushing to prepare
by the deadline. This week we have learned that not only does
this new ruling apply to all public service transport, including
buses, but it now applies to privately owned buses by primary
and secondary schools, as well as staff buses for businesses and
universities such as Daystar. Thus, much of the country has ground
to a halt, while everyone who has in his or her possession even
a semblance of a vehicle has now resurrected it onto the roads,
which means the traffic jams stretch for miles even though matatus
and buses are noticeably absent.
Optimism? One commuter was quoted in the paper as saying that
he wouldn’t mind if he has to walk many kilometers every
day for a year if it means that the roads will actually be safer
and more humane in the end. The new government, which was inaugurated
just one year ago, is once again meaning business. To implement
such a change in road culture has demanded drastic measures, and
though there are still not enough seat belts in the whole country
to enable all vehicles to actually comply, in the end, I have
yet to meet anyone who is objecting to the final expected result.
Even though the matatu owners are squawking that fares
will need to be raised to cover the difference of income, mandatory
insurance rates will be lowered, less damage will be done to vehicles,
less petrol will be used, not to mention a significant number
of lives saved.
So, once again, all I can say is, life here in Kenya is never
dull, and one can never guess what might happen next. Along with
all the other commuters, I am optimistic that this momentary chaos
will eventually result in future road sanity. That which we thought
was impossible within our lifetime, is actually happening. I think
there is a sermon message in here somewhere!
Hope you each are having a safe week!
Marta Bennett
Daystar University
Nairobi, Kenya
The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 55 |
