High schoolers go on nganya hiring spree as schools start closing for August holiday

The August school holiday has kicked off with a flashy twist, as high school students across parts of Kenya turn to the country’s famous nganya culture to make their journey home a memorable one.

The trend was particularly visible at Weithaga Boys High School in Murang’a County, where students hired a fleet of more than 10 customised matatus to pick them up as the school closed for the August holiday.

Videos circulating on social media showed the highly customised vehicles arriving as students prepared to leave the school, with the convoy attracting significant attention from residents and onlookers in the area.

The spectacle transformed what would ordinarily be a routine school closing day into a colourful display of Kenya’s vibrant matatu culture, with the vehicles’ distinctive designs and entertainment systems drawing crowds and generating excitement.

For many young Kenyans, nganyas have become symbols of youth culture, creativity and status, with some vehicles receiving extensive customisation that includes elaborate paintwork, powerful sound systems, LED lighting, screens and specially designed interiors.

The Weithaga Boys incident has also sparked fresh conversations about the growing popularity of closing-day nganya convoys, with similar arrangements becoming increasingly common among students at some schools.

Students are understood to coordinate their transport arrangements in advance, with groups pooling money to hire the vehicles they want to use for their journey home.

For students who participate, the cost of hiring a premium nganya can be divided among several passengers, making it possible for groups to access vehicles that would otherwise be too expensive for an individual student to hire.

The arrangements can involve students contributing money over time or collecting funds among friends before the school’s closing day, allowing them to secure their preferred vehicles in advance.

The growing trend has also created a new opportunity for nganya owners and crews, who can earn additional income by offering their vehicles for private group bookings outside their normal daily operations.

Popular nganyas

Some of the vehicles associated with Nairobi’s famous matatu culture have developed strong followings on social media, with young people closely tracking their designs, sound systems and routes.

Among the nganyas seen in videos from the Weithaga Boys High School closing-day convoy were several vehicles that have become popular names among Kenya’s matatu enthusiasts.

The line-up featured familiar names such as Baba Yaga, Moneyfest, Moxie and Opposite, alongside other well-known customised matatus, including 1977, Thika Roads, MVP, Beat, Die Hard, Mortal Kombat and Roughies.

Baba Yaga is associated with Route 125, a corridor serving areas around Nairobi, Ongata Rongai and Kiserian, while Moneyfest has been linked with different routes and areas, including the Rongai and Embakasi corridors.

Opposite, meanwhile, has been associated with the Eastlands corridor, including the Nairobi CBD-Umoja route.

The popularity of these vehicles has been amplified by social media, where videos of customised matatus regularly attract thousands of views and fuel competition among young people over which vehicle offers the most impressive experience.

The growing interest in nganya hiring also reflects the changing relationship between Kenya’s matatu industry and popular culture.

What was once simply a means of getting from one place to another has evolved into a major part of youth entertainment, with customised matatus now serving as moving showcases of art, music, fashion and technology.

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