Meet Artist Who Customized British Royal Convoy With Matatu Graffiti [PHOTOS]

They have been decorated with the printed British flag at the front, combined with that of Kenya. On the left chassis, one can see the Masaai Moran carrying the British flag, and a touch of a photo of the Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC) to symbolise the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD). 

A photo of the British High Commission in Kenya Matatus. /MATWANA MATATU CULTURE

The right side sports a giraffe, and Zebras on the side for the National parks around the country as well as the famous Big Ben clock tower in London, UK's capital, showing a brilliant synergy between the two countries.

In the graffiti, the Maasai Morans are captured in their cultural attires. Another one has been decorated with a picture of the Kenya Sevens players, the flamingos of Nakuru, and celebrated Marathoner Eliud Kipchoge. 

The Commission partnered with Matwana Matatu Culture to creatively decorate the entire royal vehicle fleet with unique graffiti in a bid for the royal delegation to get the feel of what it's like to travel across the country with style and vibrancy.

“For RoyalVisitKenya, we have branded our vans in the style of Nairobi matatus graffiti art, collaborating with the legendary matatu graffiti artists Matwana Matatu Culture,” the embassy stated.

A photo of the British High Commission in Kenya Matatus. /MATWANA MATATU CULTURE

Commenting on the branding, the British High Commissioner to Kenya Neil Wigan stated “These must be the coolest cars that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has?”

Brains Behind Matwana Matatu Culture

Behind this artistry is Kenyan grafitti artist Brian Wanyama alias Graff Matwana, Matwana Culture's founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

"From planning and all...but the planning took more time because we started talking a few weeks back then now the actualization really took a short time.

"The idea part was a bit challenging because the Royal Family has a lot of things like Buckingham Palace, stuff like that. So I had to do my research," Wanyama told Citizen TV's Victoria Rubadiri.

According to Wanyama, it took a week and a team of 12 to complete the design works ahead of the highly-anticipated visit.

He noted that the artistry drew quite some attention, even though these are part of numerous matatu designs that he has been working on since 2016.

“I have been so busy my phone has been ringing, it has been so crazy and it shows that there is a lot of potential. I think this moment was like a catalyst to everything,” he added.

Through his work, Wanyama hopes that this not only amplifies the importance of matatu culture to Kenyans and showcases it to the whole world where eyes will be watching during the visit but also emphasizes the potential Kenyan youth have in hustling through creative ways in order to make ends meet.

“It's a real big pleasure and honour it shows how the creative art industry in Kenya is growing and it also shows the opportunities that are there for us as the youth,” Wanyama commented.

His company Matwana has been behind some of the most famous pimped matatus in the whole country, also popularly called nganyas, out-competing each other with music systems, customisation and accessories such as flat-screen TVs that can feature on every seat as well as CCTV cameras for security purposes.

The art of pimping matatus is fast-evolving and sometimes features extravagant additions including a fish tank, (hater screens) facing outside, sunroofs, a DJ booth and VIP seats, with the trends continuously changing with evolving technology and pop culture over the years.

Due to set regulations, you will rarely witness this during the day, but if you manoeuvre the streets at night, rest assured that you will meet matatus covered with disco lights that make them stand out and brighten up their look. So popular is Matwana's work that it has been endorsed by international media houses such as CNN.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will undertake a State Visit to Kenya, from Tuesday, October 31 to Friday, November 3, 2023, to celebrate the warm relationship between the two countries.

This will be His Majesty’s first visit to a Commonwealth nation as King, a country where his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, began her reign in February 1952.

This will also be King Charles' fifth visit to Kenya, with previous visits coming in 1987, and the previous in 1977 and 1978. 

"Kenya is honoured that King Charles III and Queen Camilla have chosen our country for their first visit to a Commonwealth nation," stated President William Ruto on Monday, October 23.

"This choice is a testament to the depth of our relations and the mutually beneficial nature of our partnership.  The visit is a significant opportunity to enhance our collaboration in various areas of shared interest."

During the visit, the King and Queen will meet President Ruto and the First Lady as well as other members of the Kenyan Government, United Nations (UN) staff, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), faith leaders, young people, future leaders and Kenyan Marines training with UK Royal Marines.

Read Also: Dates Revealed For King Charles III's Planned Visit To Kenya