You have seen them on the roads and chances are you have been in one.
They are as fine on the outside as they are in the inside. From the killer rims to the sick graffiti they come as pimped up as it gets.
So where does all the magic happen?
One such place is Bondeni Number 2, located on the periphery of Bondeni estate.
To say that this garage is full of talents and skills is by far an understatement.
Timing with youths of varying ages each with his own specialty, they can turn an unroadworthy vehicle into a head turner steel on wheels.
I was lucky to meet with the team in action.
Armed with their spray guns and spanners and in their aprons they begun work.
Body job
Jimmy, alias Jim Jam is the artist here. Watching him work is like watching Leonardo Da Vinci work on the Mona Lisa. The metal his canvas and the spray gun his paint brush. He begins by scrapping off the old paint to give way to the fresh coat. The icing on the cake is always the face of the matatu if you will. This particular one has the American flag as its face.
Interior
Kiarie alias Maviti is his name. As it suggests, his profession is on the seats comfort and beauty. When this particular matatu came in, the seats were literally falling apart having been torn here there and everywhere. Once he is done with it, they become fit for a king.
Wiring
Ken is his name though in here he is better known as Last Born. He is the youngest member of the crew, and still an apprentice. However, don’t mistake this for an amateur. He is as professional as they get seeing as he is entrusted with such work. He is in charge of the electrical functioning of the car.
These are just part of the crew. Pimping a car, as I came to learn, is not a one man's job neither is it a one day affair.
Like fine wine, it takes time to perfect but the end result is worth it.
From a car no one wanted to board to one people fight for. These youths are truly artists.