Matatus

Ngoma Nites: From rumba and benga to the digital revolution in Nairobi

This extract from the book Ten Cities details the evolution of the club scene in Nairobi, with a focus on the mid-1990s

Joyce Nyairo
Bill Odidi

TOPSHOT – People chant the name of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko as they hold up a t-shirt with his name during the Labour Day Parade organized by the Central Organization of Trade Unions Kenya (COTU-K) at Uhuru Park in Nairobi on May 1, 2018. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP) (Photo credit should read YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images)

13 AUG 2021

The rise and fall of Mike Sonko — Nairobi’s Matatu King

Mike Sonko first rose to fame (and infamy) as a taxi overlord. He used his power to become the governor of Nairobi, before being outfoxed by the political elite

Isaac Otidi Amuke

34 min read