Moving Texts: Popular Inscriptions/Slogans in Matatus as Protest Discourse

Abstract

Many scholars have explored the crucial role oral literature played in the struggle for liberation and self-determination on the African continent. It is well established that African poets, authors, and musicians communicated their angst and outrage over colonization through poems, songs, proverbs, and folktales. Some studies also highlight how oral literature continues to drive protest discourse in post-colonial Africa. However, very little consideration has been put into how new forms of oral literature embody the struggles of the modern man. This study investigates matatu sayings as a ‘new’ frontier for protest discourse. Matatu slogans have received fresh attention in recent years as an emerging genre of oral literature. In Kenya, the matatu sector has played a key role in the country’s biggest political battles, including the struggle for multi-parties and economic reforms in the late 90s. This study explores the history, arching themes, and language of matatu slogans. It finds that the culture of matatu protest has transitioned over the years from violent rallies and music to witty and satirical protest texts. The paper reviews these texts through a political lens to expose the politically charged atmosphere contained within the matatu interior. It subjects the 150 matatu slogans collected from matatus in Nakuru and Eldoret Cities to Critical Discourse Analysis and the Speech Act Theory to find that matatu slogans are a muted but powerful literary tool that the matatu man, an often-disregarded member of society, uses to self-identify, negotiate power dynamics, and inspire true change. This paper, thus, suggests that recognizing and studying matatu slogans in the context of protest discourse can reveal the social and political woes of the Kenyan society today. By extension, the paper suggests that exploring new orature forms in a similar light can expose how protest discourse is adapting to the rapidly evolving realities of the continent.