Matatus in cheering football: Growth of Nganya culture

It is 7 a.m. on a cool Sunday morning in Kisii town. The streets are still waking up, but crowds are already gathering watching the spectacle unfold in front of them. The air is electric. A matatu, no, a nganya gleams under the rising sun. Painted in customized flashy themes, it pulses with bass from hidden speakers, its body adorned with murals of football legends and slogans that scream identity.

Hyped for weeks, the pandemonium hit fever pitch as the anticipated football match dubbed the Nyanza derby, saw hundreds of football fans travel overnight from Nairobi to Kisii town to cheer their beloved teams.

This is not just a ride to a football match. It is a pilgrimage, a rolling celebration, and a mobile billboard of passion. Across Nairobi, and now increasingly beyond, football fanatics are turning to nganyas to transport them and their culture to away games across Kenya.

For some of them, they grabbed the few hours before the clamour, to catch some sleep on the terraces, having travelled overnight from Nairobi to go cheer the 21times Kenyan football champions, with the 22nd title looking achievable with just four matches to go.

By 10am, Gusii stadium is fully packed with the rivalry simmering as tens of thousands of K’Ogallo and Shabana fanatics try out sing each other.

A Moving Expression of Loyalty

Nganyas, known for their artistry, sound systems, and swagger, have long been a part of Nairobi’s public transport scene. But in recent years, they have found a new stage: the Kenyan football scene.

“When we pull into Kisumu or Machakos with our nganya, people stop what they’re doing. They take photos, they cheer, they want to know who’s inside,” says Tony Otieno. A lifelong supporter of Gor Mahia.

Otieno speaks with pride as he recalls past journeys singing all the way to Mombasa, blasting vuvuzelas on the streets of Kakamega, and even helping stranded fans from opposing teams catch a ride back.

“It is about football, yes, but it’s also about unity, about showing that fans can represent their team in style and still respect others.” He says.

“Normally the fans have partnerships with some matatu saccos plying their routes and hire the desired matatu and cost share the expenses. For example, AFC Leopards Rongai branch with Orokise Sacco,” says a Dollar Mandila, a Gor Mahia fan and a sports journalist.

“Fans are organized into branches and they have their officials, with the chairs playing a crucial role. They normally have some sort of MOU with the Nganyas who ferry them every matchday, to the venue at an affordable price, whether home or away, with the members paying in advance to sort out logistical plans,” says Lilian Moraa, a sports journalist and member of Shabana’s Kitengela branch.

While Nairobi remains the spiritual home of nganya culture, the trend is no longer confined to the capital. As Nairobi fans tour the country, they bring their energy and their style with them. The result? An increasing number of fans from towns like Kisii, Kitengela and Rongai are jumping on the trend.

More Than Just a Ride

Beyond the flash and music, these nganya rides have become powerful tools for building community and identity. Fan groups often raise money to hire the most stylish vehicles, dress in club regalia, and choreograph songs and dances to perform at the stadium.

There is also a digital dimension as social media has become the gallery where this culture thrives. Videos of nganyas arriving at stadiums, fans chanting in rhythm, or dramatic nighttime drives flood TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. In some cases, it is these posts that spark curiosity in other towns encouraging local fans to organise their own nganya-style fan rides.

This cultural crossover is not just about fun it is revitalising interest in Kenyan football. For years, local clubs struggled to attract fans, especially among the youth. But now, the experience of following a team has been transformed.

Reason to worry too

“First and for most, nganyas are recklessly driven and fans are always hanging on the vehicles which is a safety concern. Again there are concerns of female fans being harassed which makes them timid and considering the alcohol and drug substances being abused by the fans, female fans have reasons to be extra cautious,” says Bridget Siantei, a member of the African Women in Sports Initiative (AWISI) tells the Standard.

“They encourage unruly behavior which might be a turn off to some match going fans. Last year we had such an unfortunate incident where a Gor Mahia fan died in Machakos,” she points out.  

However, it is not all gloomy as Siantei also points out that when going to these matches, they charge a fair price which ensures that fans are ferried from home to the stadium, hence increasing the number of people attending matches. The branding on the matatus is also a source of income for graphic designers and the DJs whose music is played in the nganyas.

Whether it is a dusty road to St Sebastian Park in Murang’a or a coastal breeze in Mombasa, Kenyan football is now being carried across counties on four wheels wrapped in lights, color, and the thundering pulse of bass.