My colleague told me yesterday that she heard some drivers and touts saying that a matatu (the one known as chopper) transformed into  a donkey at Ahero.  This transformation was witnessed by some people and word of it spread through some radio stations but it never got to TV because by the time the witnesses recovered from their shock, it had turned back into a vehicle and sped off.

She said, aki ghai unacheka na ni ukweli, ati chopper iligeuka punda!
I asked her what about the passengers? Did they get caught up in the transformation?
And that’s when we both laughed. She hadn’t thought of it in that sense, all she remembered was getting off the chopper she had boarded when she heard that story and waiting for half an hour to squeeze into a Probox!

When I asked if she did so because of fear, her answer was “sitaki kuwa punda afadhali kuwa ngombe lakini punda ati sababu ya chopper, wacha nipande Probox!”
(I don’t want to turn into a donkey, it’s better to be a cow but not a donkey worse off because of boarding a chopper, I would rather board a Probox.)
So,on my way to see the District Education Officer today, I found myself seated next to the Driver in a chopper and before it could dawn on me a tout took a jab at the driver, “omera mad ilokri punda to iting’o Jaber! Ne, Jaber idh matoka werigi punda!”
(Hey, you had better not turn into a donkey while carrying this beauty. Hey, there beautiful lady board a vehicle and leave the donkey)

Before I could take it all in, the driver shook the man’s hand and drove off but what was evident was just how fast word of mouth can build or destroy your brand or business. I say so because so many passengers did not want to board the chopper because they didn’t want to turn into God forbid,  a donkey. I just wanted to make it to my meeting in time and I did.

P. S: Wrote this yesterday, and I woke up at 5 am to post it ✌