George Ruto’s popular matatu brand has landed in hot water after a video from its official Instagram page, @raptorfam_ke showed crew members urging supporters to back President William Ruto for a second term in office.
The clip, posted on Monday, September 7, was filmed on a busy street beside his Baba Yaga matatu carrying messaging like “Free the Youth” and “Badilisha Mtaa”, Swahili for “Change the Neighbourhood.”
Is George Ruto’s matatu brand political?
A crew member identified as Kinara stood before the vehicle and addressed the camera directly.
“As the youth, we need to transform our neighbourhoods with George Ruto,” Kinara said in the video.
The matatu also featured a poster of George at the front, and the political tone was unmistakable. Another employee doubled down with an even bolder statement:
“It is not two terms, but four terms in office.”
The backlash was swift.
Fans who had followed the page for its ties to Nairobi’s matatu culture felt the brand had crossed a line by wading into politics, and many said so plainly.
@____.wambuiiii wrote:
“George and the Raptor Family are all great, but the agenda is wantam.”
@real_sput kept it brief:
“Mmeanza kuingiza gari kwa siasa.”
@town_master_ke echoed the frustration:
“Sasa ni siasa si culture.”
@bracton_ke was more pointed:
“So just because we love the culture, mumeanza campaign ya UDA trying to convince us about your boss.”
@m.j_official2 added:
“You have started diverting, guys. We were not supposed to go that way.”
The harshest response came from @vinnyvin519, who wrote:
“And that is how you unfollow the Raptor Family.”
Faced with the growing criticism, the page moved to distance itself from the political reading of the clip.
“This is not political,” the team wrote in response to commenters.
“Our boss is a youth, and he wants to create a crime-free environment; then he will involve the youths in certain areas such as sports, etc.”
The explanation did little to cool the anger, with many fans feeling the page had blurred the line between community messaging and campaign support.
For a brand built on youth culture and street credibility, the political association struck a nerve with followers who felt the matatu space should remain separate from electoral politics.
