Just as the Lord asked Moses during the crossing of the Red Sea, “What do you have?” Super Metro must have asked itself the same question after its sudden ban left many commuters stranded and its fleet parked like neglected relics of Nairobi’s chaotic transport system. But lo and behold, the suspension was lifted, and the king of the road is back!

For those who have been living under a rock (or perhaps dodging rowdy makangas), Super Metro, one of Nairobi’s most reliable transport saccos, found itself in hot soup after an unfortunate incident involving a conductor and an elderly passenger.

According to reports, the conductor channelled his inner WWE wrestler and allegedly threw out a passenger who was Sh30 short of the required Sh80 fare. Now, unless that conductor was moonlighting as an Olympic shot-put athlete, no one really knows how that “throwing” played out. But one thing was clear: the backlash was swift, and NTSA was not having it.

Following the incident, NTSA came down hard, suspending SuperMetro’s operations like an overly strict headteacher punishing an entire class for one student’s mischief.

The authority cited multiple violations, including expired inspection and speed limiter certificates, non-compliant driver credentials, and a general failure to meet safety regulations. To make things right, Super Metro was instructed to present 294 vehicles for compliance checks and send 42 drivers back to school for retesting. Ouch.

For commuters, this ban felt like a punishment from the heavens. Super Metro is known for its discipline, fair pricing, and comfortable rides (well, as comfortable as a matatu ride can get in this economy). The absence of those iconic red, white, and blue machines was deeply felt – leaving passengers at the mercy of other saccos that sometimes treat time like an optional concept and customer service like a foreign language.

By Tuesday, March 25, Super Metro had pulled a Lazarus – they were back from the dead! The Transport Licensing Appeals Board, chaired by Adrian Kamotho, swooped in with some divine intervention and directed that the ban be lifted immediately.

The directive was even served to the Inspector General of Police, just to make sure everyone was on the same page.

In response, Super Metro wasted no time. The fleet started lining up at the Likoni Road testing centre like students waiting to sit for an exam they forgot to study for. The company is now racing against time to get all its paperwork in order and ensure its compliance meets NTSA’s (sometimes excessive) requirements. The coming days will be crucial as authorities monitor their operations, but for now, passengers can breathe a sigh of relief.

This whole saga has been a rollercoaster, but one thing remains clear: Nairobi’s transport scene is never short of drama. Whether it’s unfair fare hikes, missing change, or impromptu bans, matatu life will always keep us on our toes. But for now, Super Metro has risen like a phoenix from the ashes, and we can only hope their conductors have learned that a little kindness (or at least a little patience) can go a long way. Welcome back, Super Metro! We missed you – just don’t throw us out mid-ride, okay?

The writer is a Communications and Media Assistant Volunteer at the Nutrition Entrepreneurship and Peace for Kenya (NEP Kenya)