Permanent project revision

Digital Matatus: Nairobi's Matatu Routes Mapped into GTFS

Revision 2026-10-13-editorial-decisions · effective 2026-10-11

Current revision. This is the snapshot used by the live entity page.

unreviewed

Status changed from live to completed with yearEnd 2020: the last collection was in 2019, the feed's calendar ran out on 31 December 2020 and the Mobility Database lists it as inactive; the outcome stays succeeded.

sha256:7a21a8f72ca0f1345dedde65f7346954d43fdd9746466d0eca78574f88595dac

Change set

  • replace /snapshot/projectFingerprint — Updated projectFingerprint to the current sourced project record.
  • replace /snapshot/projectState — Updated projectState to the current sourced project record.
107
of 107 claims mapped
25
source dossiers
15
publication dates recorded
3
archives linked
0
exact locators
0
content captures hashed

Claims, one by one

The text below is copied verbatim from the published record. Each claim names the source dossiers that carry it; caveats stay attached to the claim they qualify.

Claim 1 clm-7223cfb1bd4e495f quantitative
Between September 2012 and September 2013 a team from the University of Nairobi, MIT and Columbia rode all of Nairobi's 135 matatu routes with GPS-tracking phones
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The peer-reviewed paper gives the collection window, September 2012 to September 2013, and says the team from the three universities and the design firm Groupshot collected data on all 135 routes using mobile devices.
Caveat
The route count varies across the team's own publications: 135 in the paper, 136 plus six rail lines in the book chapter, more than 130 in the MIT release. The chapter dates formal collection from February 2013, after a software test in the autumn of 2012.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 2 clm-ee57983e7aec5b68 descriptive
converted the data into a modified GTFS loose enough for a system with no calendars, no service frequencies and no operating schedules
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The project site says several data points the standard requires - calendars, service frequencies and operating schedules - simply do not exist for the matatu system, so the team developed a modified GTFS; the paper describes generating rough estimates of departures and frequencies to fill the standard's fields.
Caveat
The published feeds do contain calendar and frequency files with the team's estimates; what does not exist is a schedule the matatus follow.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Digital Matatus Project (official site)
  2. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 3 clm-2e4fc5252736b2be quantitative
A stylised paper map followed in January 2014
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
MIT News dates the release of the stylised map to January 2014; the project's download page dates the pocket and wall maps to 23 January 2014.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MIT News - Digital Matatus project makes the invisible visible
  2. Digital Matatus - maps and data downloads page
Claim 4 clm-04f163c7e4a6c34b descriptive
which the county government made the official matatu map
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper states that the Nairobi City County Government designated the map as the official transit map for the city, and its figure caption says the city government made it the official matatu map when the final version was released in January 2014.
Caveat
The team's own book chapter is inconsistent: one page says the governor made it the official map at the launch, another that the city intended to adopt it. Both statements are the team's.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
  2. Klopp et al. 2015 - Leveraging cellphones for wayfinding and journey planning in semi-formal bus systems (Springer, CUPUM)
Claim 5 clm-67e4f3d5a9b323c6 quantitative
on 26 August 2015 Google switched on matatu directions in Google Maps
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Google's Africa blog post of 26 August 2015 announces that bus and matatu route information is available on maps.google.co.ke in collaboration with Digital Matatus; the paper gives the same launch date.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Google Africa Blog - Nairobi transit directions now available on Google Maps (26 Aug 2015)
  2. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 6 clm-5df36a8fc61895b3 descriptive
The project team calls it the first semi-formal transit system in Google's routing
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper says it is the first semi-formal transit system to be included in the Google Maps transit routing feature, and the lab's news item calls it the first time an informal transit system is navigable through Google Maps.
Caveat
The claim is the team's. ITDP, an outside organisation, called Nairobi one of the first projects to bring informal transit into GTFS, alongside Dhaka, Manila and Mexico City.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
  2. MIT Civic Data Design Lab - Digital Matatus now on Google Maps (9 Sep 2015)
Claim 7 clm-c1a28ceabc10766c quantitative
Google's own announcement said Nairobi joined "the over 2800 towns and cities" with the feature
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Google's post says Nairobi now joins the over 2800 towns and cities having the feature, naming Lagos, Johannesburg, Tokyo and Sydney, and does not describe the launch as a first.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Google Africa Blog - Nairobi transit directions now available on Google Maps (26 Aug 2015)
Claim 8 clm-0549c9974902dc30 quantitative
Over 5,000 downloads of the map were registered in its first six months
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
MIT News reports over 5,000 downloads registered in the map's first six months; Columbia's news office gives the same figure.
Caveat
The count is the team's own, relayed by its partner universities. The project site counts it differently - more than 5,000 unique IP addresses that downloaded the data - and the paper gives more than 5,000 downloads of data and paper maps without a six-month window.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MIT News - Digital Matatus project makes the invisible visible
  2. Columbia Climate School - Map and app help people track transit in Nairobi (26 Aug 2015)
Claim 9 clm-dae62774069ee437 quantitative
five routing apps were built on the data, among them Ma3Route and Flashcast Sonar in Nairobi and the Canadian Transit App
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper lists over five routing applications built on the openly shared data - Ma3Route, Sonar Flashcast, Matatu Maps, Digital Matatus and Transit App; the chapter says Transit App was produced by a Canadian company.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
  2. Klopp et al. 2015 - Leveraging cellphones for wayfinding and journey planning in semi-formal bus systems (Springer, CUPUM)
Claim 10 clm-895336bd64046262 quantitative
In the project's own survey of 66 planning students 86% said the map made it easier to find their way around the city and 83% said they were more likely to take a new matatu route
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The chapter reports a survey of sixty-six first-year planning students at the Technical University of Kenya: 86% believed the map made it easier to find the way around the city and 83% were more likely to take a new matatu route.
Caveat
The chapter itself says the sample did not reflect the makeup of the city: about two-thirds of respondents were under 22 and nearly 88% were men.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Klopp et al. 2015 - Leveraging cellphones for wayfinding and journey planning in semi-formal bus systems (Springer, CUPUM)
Claim 11 clm-6d309dde820a7294 quantitative
ITDP, with UN-Habitat and the national highways authority, used the data for the 2014 service plan of the Uhuru Highway (A104) bus rapid transit corridor
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
ITDP wrote in March 2014 that it was using the dataset, in partnership with the Kenya National Highways Authority and UN-Habitat, for plans and recommendations for the BRT along the Uhuru Highway; the paper cites the resulting Nairobi Ndovu/A104 bus service plan.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. ITDP - New maps and open data pave way for Nairobi BRT (7 Mar 2014)
  2. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 12 clm-f78c10d3ca86e122 quantitative
The team re-rode the routes in 2017 and 2019
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The project announced an updated feed for all 133 routes in February 2017 and, in October 2019, the release of the 2019 feed as its third extensive data collection in six years.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Digital Matatus - Updated Nairobi GTFS feed available (2 Feb 2017)
  2. Digital Matatus - Second update of Digital Matatus now live (8 Oct 2019)
Claim 13 clm-8dcac6f387fc26ba quantitative
said the 2019 collection covered more than 140 routes and 4,000 stops
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The October 2019 announcement says the team collected and verified more than 140 routes and 4,000 stops across the city.
Caveat
The catalogued 2019 feed lists 136 bus routes; the difference is the team's own count against the catalogue's.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Digital Matatus - Second update of Digital Matatus now live (8 Oct 2019)
Claim 14 clm-d1af6aae39e68aaa quantitative
that feed's calendar ran out on 31 December 2020, and the Mobility Database lists it as inactive
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The catalogue record for the official DigitalMatatus feed gives a service range of 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020, a last download on 7 June 2024 and the status inactive.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Mobility Database - DigitalMatatus official feed mdb-1815 (catalogue)
Claim 15 clm-ce70a1bc7c202ef4 descriptive
No Nairobi agency is recorded in the sources read here as having taken the collection over
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Both catalogue records name the research project - Digital Matatus GTFS and DigitalMatatus - as the producer, and the replacement notice points from the old feed to the same producer at a new URL; no feed from a Nairobi authority was found.
Caveat
An absence in the sources read, not a finding about the city: a county or NaMATA feed could exist outside the catalogue.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Mobility Database - DigitalMatatus official feed mdb-1815 (catalogue)
  2. Mobility Database - Digital Matatus GTFS feed tfs-535 (catalogue)
Claim 16 clm-a489415038b93f84 descriptive
a GTFS loosened for a system where fares vary and routes and stops move with traffic, police checks, commuter demand and the weather
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The project site says fares are variable and routes and stops can change depending on traffic patterns, police checks, commuter demands or the prevailing weather; the paper adds that fares can triple when it rains and routes change with construction, police avoidance and school hours.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Digital Matatus Project (official site)
  2. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 17 clm-debd42bdc8a8f1a7 quantitative
Nairobi's matatu network comprises over 135 routes that, according to the 2009 census, serve a population of well over 3.1 million within the metropolitan area
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper opens its description of the system with this sentence (page 41).
Caveat
The peer-reviewed paper is written by the project team itself; peer review covers the method, not an outside evaluation of the system.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 18 clm-ce53e3f43b1758b8 quantitative
approximately 9554 matatus and buses serve the Nairobi region
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper cites the Transport Licensing Board's 2012 count (page 41).
Caveat
A 2012 licensing count quoted by the team; no newer fleet figure is given.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 19 clm-a85f9b15d93c873c quantitative
roughly 3.5 million people depend on matatus every day in Nairobi but have little information on the more than 130 different routes
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
MIT's news office quotes Sarah Williams with these words.
Caveat
A figure given by the project lead in an interview, not a measurement cited to a source.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MIT News - Digital Matatus project makes the invisible visible
Claim 20 clm-4d57564c0c47ad6d descriptive
service does not always have fixed schedules and fares, and drivers often take detours to avoid traffic or police and sometimes take the liberty of improvising stops
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper describes the system this way (page 41).
Caveat
The peer-reviewed paper is written by the project team itself; peer review covers the method, not an outside evaluation of the system.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 21 clm-012a41cc14b03646 descriptive
when it rains in Nairobi, fares can triple
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper gives this example of demand-driven fares (page 43).
Caveat
The peer-reviewed paper is written by the project team itself; peer review covers the method, not an outside evaluation of the system.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 22 clm-afc1d787c5293306 quantitative
charted over 3,000 matatu stops, most of which had been established by private matatu drivers, not the local government
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
MIT's news office reports the stop count and who set the stops.
Caveat
A partner university's news office, not an outside outlet.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MIT News - Digital Matatus project makes the invisible visible
Claim 23 clm-07407a36835123f4 descriptive
Supported by a grant from The Rockefeller Foundation, the Digital Matatus project was conceived at Columbia University
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
MIT's news office states the funder and the origin; the paper's acknowledgements name the Rockefeller grant (page 49).
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MIT News - Digital Matatus project makes the invisible visible
  2. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 24 clm-9e7102c127c2072d quantitative
where Williams worked as director of the Spatial Information Design Laboratory through August 2012, when she moved to MIT
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
MIT's news office gives Williams's move from Columbia to MIT.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MIT News - Digital Matatus project makes the invisible visible
Claim 25 clm-2cc3d39c4398194c quantitative
when our research team started the project in 2012, we did not know of any organizations using mobile devices to generate data on semi-formal bus systems
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's own words (page 40).
Caveat
The peer-reviewed paper is written by the project team itself; peer review covers the method, not an outside evaluation of the system.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 26 clm-b25b4eb5ed6b3085 quantitative
data collection occurred from September 2012 to September 2013; however, the process was periodically stopped to test data quality and retool our collection software
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's account of the collection window (page 41).
Caveat
The book chapter dates formal collection from February 2013; the paper's window includes the testing phase.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 28 clm-792197e0b6a37d0e quantitative
formal data collection began in February of 2013 using a modified version of MyTracks App for Android smart phones developed specifically for the project
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The chapter dates the formal start and names the app (page 231); MIT's news office also dates collection from February 2013.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Klopp et al. 2015 - Leveraging cellphones for wayfinding and journey planning in semi-formal bus systems (Springer, CUPUM)
  2. MIT News - Digital Matatus project makes the invisible visible
Claim 29 clm-c06caef9e0c29077 descriptive
a student team from the University of Nairobi led by Dan Orwa and Peter Wagacha
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
MIT's news office names the Nairobi team and its leaders.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MIT News - Digital Matatus project makes the invisible visible
Claim 30 clm-59e23c930f6d48d8 quantitative
successfully collected data on 135 routes that comprise Nairobi's matatu system
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's route count (page 41); page 40 says the same, 'all Nairobi's 135 matatu routes'.
Caveat
The team's other publications give 136 routes and 6 rail lines (chapter) and 133 or 'more than 140' routes in later collections.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 32 clm-bc776b1ea9daf6cf quantitative
134 matatu routes and over 3,000 stops in Nairobi County were mapped
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Capital FM's launch-day report gives this count.
Caveat
A press figure; the team's own publications give 135 or 136.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Capital FM - Matatu routes now available on Google maps (26 Aug 2015)
Claim 33 clm-834a8fdeea8dfb36 quantitative
some 130 matatu routes, covering more than 3,000 stops
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Columbia's news office gives this rounded count.
Caveat
A partner university's news office; the peer-reviewed count is 135.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Columbia Climate School - Map and app help people track transit in Nairobi (26 Aug 2015)
Claim 34 clm-8d9df7d2e07eb27f quantitative
Cape Town has over 600 routes while Nairobi has 138
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Klopp's 2016 article in The Conversation gives this comparison.
Caveat
An article by a project founder; the team's other counts are 133 to 136 routes.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The Conversation - Using data from cellphones to help Nairobi crack commuter stress (2 Oct 2016)
Claim 35 clm-a07983881bc353f2 quantitative
only four of around 766 agencies producing feeds were in Africa
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's review of the GTFS Exchange, accessed 24 August 2014 (pages 40–41).
Caveat
A snapshot of one data-sharing platform in 2014.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 36 clm-cff82a36b12ab6b7 descriptive
also assumes there are standard schedules and fares, standard vehicle types, scheduled service outages, and that transit agencies are maintaining the data
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's description of what GTFS assumes (page 43).
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 37 clm-ce3974236f021759 descriptive
we had to generate rough estimates for departure and frequency of trips from the main terminus at peak and off-peak periods
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper explains how the schedule fields were filled (page 43).
Caveat
The feed therefore carries estimated, not observed, frequencies.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 38 clm-b1104238b9d4bc14 descriptive
a matatu generally leaves a stop every two minutes during peak hours
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's observation, given in parentheses (page 43).
Caveat
An observation by the team, not a measured headway.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 39 clm-ac8063b525387ec9 descriptive
fare information is optional in the GTFS format; therefore, we decided not to populate this field since it would be difficult to develop it in a standardized way
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's decision on fares (page 43).
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 40 clm-c60ff6ab9fd08235 descriptive
given that the data was developed for the hundreds of "agencies" operating matatus, the research team is listed in that field
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper on the GTFS agency file (page 43).
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 41 clm-0c0594df998758a2 descriptive
the group added a "continuous stops" field to the stop times and routes table
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper reports the change approved at a conference of GTFS users (page 46).
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 42 clm-f983715c8131048f quantitative
In January 2014, Digital Matatus released a stylized transport system map resembling subway maps from developed world capitals like London, New York, and Paris
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
MIT's news office dates and describes the map; the project's download page dates the pocket and wall maps to 23 January 2014.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MIT News - Digital Matatus project makes the invisible visible
  2. Digital Matatus - maps and data downloads page
Claim 43 clm-8e8cde945e44d13c quantitative
over the weekend of January 25–26, 2014, eight teams of up to four university students each participated in the collaborative programming competition
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper describes the hackathon held at the map's launch (page 46).
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 45 clm-a31ecea7558c05d9 quantitative
wildly popular, with over 5,000 downloads registered in the first six months
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
MIT's news office gives the download count and the window.
Caveat
A count reported by the team through a partner's news office; what exactly was counted differs between the team's accounts.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MIT News - Digital Matatus project makes the invisible visible
Claim 46 clm-d48388159065f290 quantitative
more than 5,000 unique IP addresses downloaded the data
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The project homepage counts IP addresses that downloaded the data six months after release.
Caveat
The team's own server count.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Digital Matatus Project (official site)
Claim 47 clm-6d999f4652caac1e quantitative
there have been more than 5000 downloads of the data and paper maps
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's version of the figure, counted since the January 2014 release (page 46).
Caveat
The peer-reviewed paper is written by the project team itself; peer review covers the method, not an outside evaluation of the system.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 48 clm-2e43097fda1312f8 descriptive
the Nairobi City County Government has designated the map as the official transit map for the city
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's statement (page 49).
Caveat
The team's book chapter says in one place that the governor made it official and in another that the city intended to adopt it; no county document was found.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 49 clm-e057f99d5b1c020b quantitative
Nairobi's city government made it the official matatu map when the final edited version was released in January 2014
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The caption of the paper's Figure 6 (page 47).
Caveat
The team's own statement; no county document was found.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 50 clm-b29ff2f376e81029 descriptive
the governor of Nairobi made it the official Matatu map
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The chapter's account of the launch (page 236).
Caveat
One page later the same chapter says the city 'intended to adopt' the map.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Klopp et al. 2015 - Leveraging cellphones for wayfinding and journey planning in semi-formal bus systems (Springer, CUPUM)
Claim 52 clm-be0b7ab46a266d74 quantitative
Governor Evans Kidero was attending the City Lab London 2015 Conference
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Kenyans.co.ke reports the governor launching Digital Matatus as a county system at the conference in London.
Caveat
A press report; MIT's lab lists a CIO East Africa report of the same launch dated November 2015.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Kenyans.co.ke - Nairobi launches new phone technology to ease traffic (Oct 2015)
Claim 53 clm-3b40aff58fdb1d71 descriptive
A total of sixty-six surveys were collected after respondents had the opportunity to review and comment on the paper version of the matatu map
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The chapter describes the survey of first-year planning students at the Technical University of Kenya (page 236).
Caveat
A survey designed and run by the team.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Klopp et al. 2015 - Leveraging cellphones for wayfinding and journey planning in semi-formal bus systems (Springer, CUPUM)
Claim 54 clm-833160659495a584 quantitative
almost all, 86%, believed the map made it easier to find the way around the city
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The chapter's survey result (page 237).
Caveat
Sixty-six respondents, by the team's own description not representative of the city.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Klopp et al. 2015 - Leveraging cellphones for wayfinding and journey planning in semi-formal bus systems (Springer, CUPUM)
Claim 55 clm-977bd4efd8048f43 quantitative
about 83% reported that with the map they are more likely to take a new matatu route
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The chapter's survey result (page 237).
Caveat
Sixty-six respondents, by the team's own description not representative of the city.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Klopp et al. 2015 - Leveraging cellphones for wayfinding and journey planning in semi-formal bus systems (Springer, CUPUM)
Claim 56 clm-b07ec3d4b1e0a057 quantitative
more than 80% of respondents reported never having seen a public transit map like the Digital Matatu map for their city
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The chapter's survey result (page 237).
Caveat
Sixty-six respondents.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Klopp et al. 2015 - Leveraging cellphones for wayfinding and journey planning in semi-formal bus systems (Springer, CUPUM)
Claim 58 clm-49a26b9062886930 quantitative
about two-thirds of respondents were under the age of 22 years of age, and nearly 88% were males
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The chapter describes the sample (page 237).
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Klopp et al. 2015 - Leveraging cellphones for wayfinding and journey planning in semi-formal bus systems (Springer, CUPUM)
Claim 59 clm-92f8895b6ae214ac quantitative
was launched on August 26, 2015 in Nairobi
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper dates the Google Maps transit feature (page 46); Google's blog post is dated 26 August 2015; MIT's lab dates Google's announcement to the same day.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
  2. Google Africa Blog - Nairobi transit directions now available on Google Maps (26 Aug 2015)
  3. MIT Civic Data Design Lab - Digital Matatus now on Google Maps (9 Sep 2015)
Claim 60 clm-e7c5dfd3387077f1 descriptive
it is the first semi-formal transit system to be included in the Google Maps transit routing feature
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's claim (page 46).
Caveat
The team's own claim; Google's announcement does not call it a first.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 61 clm-124f098cd1f880e1 descriptive
the first time an informal transit system is navigable through Google Maps
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The MIT lab's news item of 9 September 2015.
Caveat
The team's own claim.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MIT Civic Data Design Lab - Digital Matatus now on Google Maps (9 Sep 2015)
Claim 63 clm-5f3b5420299e5669 quantitative
Nairobi now joins the over 2800 towns and cities having this very useful and convenient feature, including Lagos, Johannesburg, Tokyo and Sydney
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Google's announcement frames Nairobi as joining cities that already had transit directions; it does not use the word first.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Google Africa Blog - Nairobi transit directions now available on Google Maps (26 Aug 2015)
Claim 64 clm-e03910ee1ff8996e descriptive
a first for Google maps as it will inform the development of Transit maps in similar cities with similar public transport structure like Manila, Dhaka, Mexico City or Dar es Salaam
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Capital FM's launch-day report.
Caveat
A press outlet repeating the team's framing; the comparison cities are the outlet's.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Capital FM - Matatu routes now available on Google maps (26 Aug 2015)
Claim 65 clm-8ad8622f394b0a4c descriptive
the Nairobi project is one of the first to bring informal transit into GTFS
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
ITDP's March 2014 article, which names projects in Dhaka, Manila and Mexico City alongside Nairobi.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. ITDP - New maps and open data pave way for Nairobi BRT (7 Mar 2014)
Claim 66 clm-65707d85487b29fb quantitative
The team assisted Laban Okune, who used the data to improve his award-winning Ma3Route mobile app
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper names the app and its developer (page 46).
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 67 clm-a8d620abfd019bca descriptive
worked with Jeremy Gordon of Flashcast who developed a routing program called Sonar using the data
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper names the app and its developer (page 46).
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 71 clm-e856aa8dac4eab71 descriptive
in a partnership with the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and UN-Habitat
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
ITDP's own account of who it worked with.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. ITDP - New maps and open data pave way for Nairobi BRT (7 Mar 2014)
Claim 72 clm-235ff1300e8fb517 descriptive
building off the dataset to develop plans and recommendations for the upcoming BRT along the Uhuru Highway
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
ITDP's own account of what it used the data for.
Caveat
ITDP writing about its own work.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. ITDP - New maps and open data pave way for Nairobi BRT (7 Mar 2014)
Claim 73 clm-52c55ca7eca84479 quantitative
Nairobi Ndovu/A104 Bus Service Plan
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's reference list cites 'ITDP, UN-Habitat, 2014. Nairobi Ndovu/A104 Bus Service Plan' (page 51).
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 75 clm-89530a63f2d25647 descriptive
an updated version of the Nairobi GTFS Feed is now available on our website
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The project's news post of 2 February 2017.
Caveat
The project team's own account.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Digital Matatus - Updated Nairobi GTFS feed available (2 Feb 2017)
Claim 76 clm-c43daf525026de11 quantitative
the next step was to collect updated data for all the 133 matatu routes in Nairobi
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The project's news post of 2 February 2017.
Caveat
The team's count for the 2017 collection; its 2015 publications say 135 and 136.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Digital Matatus - Updated Nairobi GTFS feed available (2 Feb 2017)
Claim 77 clm-9bcd8e9b11369838 quantitative
in the summer of 2018, the research team performed the third round of data collection
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The MIT lab's project page.
Caveat
The project team's own account.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MIT Civic Data Design Lab - Digital Matatus
Claim 78 clm-54e3e3c346057f3c descriptive
to allow a comparison of old routes to new routes and the ability to modify the old routes where needed
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The MIT lab's project page describes the amended collection software.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MIT Civic Data Design Lab - Digital Matatus
Claim 79 clm-cf575c52fc69c94c descriptive
helped maintain the data in the format needed for Google Maps upload
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The MIT lab's project page.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MIT Civic Data Design Lab - Digital Matatus
Claim 80 clm-83c7f5001dd21fe4 quantitative
The Digital Matatus team has just released the 2019 transit feed for the city of Nairobi
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The project's news post of 8 October 2019.
Caveat
The project team's own account.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Digital Matatus - Second update of Digital Matatus now live (8 Oct 2019)
Claim 81 clm-3caf3c0c9b6dd329 quantitative
the Digital Matatus team has collected and verified more than 140 routes and 4,000 stops across the city
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The project's news post of 8 October 2019.
Caveat
The team's own count; the feed file lists 136 routes.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Digital Matatus - Second update of Digital Matatus now live (8 Oct 2019)
Claim 82 clm-0a13a209d0376485 descriptive
the third extensive data collection conducted by the team in the past six years
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The project's news post of 8 October 2019.
Caveat
The project team's own account.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Digital Matatus - Second update of Digital Matatus now live (8 Oct 2019)
Claim 83 clm-a8aa01e8a9352a19 quantitative
in the past two years, the matatu network has grown from 3,300 km to 3,550 km in length
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The project's news post of 8 October 2019.
Caveat
The team's own measurement from its 2017 and 2019 collections.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Digital Matatus - Second update of Digital Matatus now live (8 Oct 2019)
Claim 84 clm-063e99428ad50850 quantitative
GTFS Feed (05/30/2019)
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The project's download page lists feeds dated 5 August 2015, 30 January 2017 and 30 May 2019.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Digital Matatus - maps and data downloads page
Claim 85 clm-9af04383be90f913 descriptive
this feed has been replaced with a different producer URL
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The catalogue's notice on the original feed record.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Mobility Database - Digital Matatus GTFS feed tfs-535 (catalogue)
Claim 86 clm-252877199b6a6a80 quantitative
Start Jan 1, 2019 End Dec 31, 2020
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The catalogue's service date range for the replacing feed.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Mobility Database - DigitalMatatus official feed mdb-1815 (catalogue)
Claim 87 clm-9d6956db47d703c3 quantitative
Latest: Fri Jun 07 2024
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The catalogue's dataset history for the replacing feed.
Caveat
A catalogue fetch date, not a change to the feed.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Mobility Database - DigitalMatatus official feed mdb-1815 (catalogue)
Claim 88 clm-4766334d7fe0e696 descriptive
An Open Resource Center for Mapping Public Transport across Africa
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The resource centre's own description on its homepage.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. DigitalTransport4Africa - resource centre homepage
Claim 89 clm-89d9138496ab96be descriptive
spearheaded by the French Development Agency and Digital Matatus and other mapping collectives and joined by the World Bank
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The 2019 paper describes the initiative's origin.
Caveat
Written by one of the project's founders; peer review covers the argument, not an outside evaluation.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Klopp and Cavoli 2019, Transport Reviews - Mapping minibuses in Maputo and Nairobi (peer-reviewed)
Claim 90 clm-4785dc7f6e08185b descriptive
GTFS, map and papers for the buses of Nairobi (Kenya)
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The repository's own description; its creation and last-activity dates, both 25 April 2022, were read through the platform's API.
Caveat
The repository page itself sits behind a bot wall; the description was read through the platform's API.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. DigitalTransport4Africa data commons - Nairobi repository on GitLab
Claim 91 clm-1fb16b362fefdddb descriptive
these cities include Kampala, Maputo, Accra, Lusaka, Amman, Cairo, Managua and elsewhere
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Klopp's 2016 article lists the cities taking up the method.
Caveat
A founder's list; the Accra project's own wiki does not name Digital Matatus.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The Conversation - Using data from cellphones to help Nairobi crack commuter stress (2 Oct 2016)
Claim 92 clm-3f7c958f9e2e8fe9 descriptive
UN-Habitat and ITDP more recently have tried to replicate this work in Kampala, Uganda
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's conclusion (page 49).
Caveat
The peer-reviewed paper is written by the project team itself; peer review covers the method, not an outside evaluation of the system.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 93 clm-b96b2a986ba2b6c9 descriptive
engaged the Institute of Transportation Development Policy (ITDP) to replicate the mapping process in Kampala
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The 2019 paper on UN-Habitat's Kampala replication.
Caveat
Written by one of the project's founders; peer review covers the argument, not an outside evaluation.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Klopp and Cavoli 2019, Transport Reviews - Mapping minibuses in Maputo and Nairobi (peer-reviewed)
Claim 96 clm-cd9236a9572a5dd9 descriptive
indicated the Maputo City Council's willingness to take ownership of the map, a significant milestone in the project
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The 2019 paper on the renaming of Maputo's map.
Caveat
Written by one of the project's founders; peer review covers the argument, not an outside evaluation.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Klopp and Cavoli 2019, Transport Reviews - Mapping minibuses in Maputo and Nairobi (peer-reviewed)
Claim 97 clm-90999d4e1ae892f7 quantitative
At the launch of the Google transit app for Nairobi in 2015, the ICT Director for the National Transport and Safety Authority was asked by journalists who would be responsible for updating and providing this data to the public
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The 2019 paper's account of the launch.
Caveat
Written by one of the project's founders; peer review covers the argument, not an outside evaluation.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Klopp and Cavoli 2019, Transport Reviews - Mapping minibuses in Maputo and Nairobi (peer-reviewed)
Claim 98 clm-2cc1fdf6c425cac5 descriptive
ideally, this function should eventually be taken over by a government agency, such as Kenya Institute for Public Policy Analysis (KIPPRA) or the National Transport and Safety Authority, with a steady budget allocation for updating the data
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's recommendation (page 49).
Caveat
The peer-reviewed paper is written by the project team itself; peer review covers the method, not an outside evaluation of the system.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 99 clm-edeea7128a36a879 descriptive
KIPPRA has expressed interest in maintaining the data and the methodology
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The paper's conclusion (page 49).
Caveat
An expression of interest reported in 2015; no later source shows KIPPRA taking the data over.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed)
Claim 100 clm-5a09972ad855a687 descriptive
multilateral actors/lenders such as the World Bank, the European Union and the African Development Bank and their consultants, used the data and maps without, however, generally recognising a role in or responsibility for supporting the creation of such data
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The 2019 paper's assessment.
Caveat
Written by one of the project's founders; peer review covers the argument, not an outside evaluation.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Klopp and Cavoli 2019, Transport Reviews - Mapping minibuses in Maputo and Nairobi (peer-reviewed)
Claim 102 clm-7e3646045ec1675f descriptive
the assumptiun « we have data = we can have relevant planning » is not so obvious
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The same slide; the spelling is the original's.
Caveat
AFD's own lesson about a project it funded.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. MobiliseYourCity / AFD - Paratransit and digital commons in Africa (slide deck, 28 Jun 2021)
Claim 103 clm-86a2ed701bae92aa descriptive
begins with passenger demand surveys that help determine how frequently each existing route operates, how many people board and alight at each stop, current commercial speeds, and transfer locations
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
ITDP's Line 2 service plan describes its own method; the document does not cite Digital Matatus or GTFS.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. ITDP Africa - Service plan for Nairobi BRT Line 2 (Oct 2019)
Claim 105 clm-5f147be7afcb9f95 quantitative
will enable the use of existing public transport routes for 5 corridors
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The Star's report of 1 July 2026 quotes the authority's plan.
Caveat
A plan announced by the authority, not a service.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The Star - Nairobi BRT dream: how NaMATA plans to break Nairobi's traffic deadlock (1 Jul 2026)
Claim 106 clm-00436ef42c1cd8b1 descriptive
the Auditor-General flagged the project as stalled
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Capital FM's report of 10 August 2026 on the audit for the year to 30 June 2025.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Capital FM - NaMATA racks up Sh1bn interest on delayed BRT payments (10 Aug 2026)

Source dossiers and revision state

This layer records what is known about each source, what is still missing, and the exact snapshot this page is rendering. A missing date, archive or hash stays visible as missing.

unreviewed Revision 2026-10-13-editorial-decisions effective 2026-10-11 · created 2026-10-13

Awaiting operator and domain-expert review; publication of this revision implies neither.

sha256:7a21a8f72ca0f1345dedde65f7346954d43fdd9746466d0eca78574f88595dac
107
of 107 claims mapped
25
source dossiers
15
publication dates recorded
3
archives linked
0
exact locators
0
content captures hashed

Governance facts carried by the record

Operator
Digital Matatus Project (MIT, Columbia University, University of Nairobi)
Actor types
research
Funding model
grant
Funding description
Rockefeller Foundation grant
Cost
Not recorded
Ownership
Not recorded
Decision rights
Not recorded
Exit conditions
Not recorded

25 source dossiers

Digital Matatus Project (official site) digitalmatatus.com · 3 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-af044b35a4cfe32f
Publisher
Name not classified · digitalmatatus.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
Open archived copy ↗ · 2026-10-05
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The project's own account of the method, the modified GTFS, the download count, the five routing apps and the city's recognition of the map. A standing project site with no publication date; its newest news item is from October 2019.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Digital Matatus - maps and data downloads page digitalmatatus.com · 3 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-e21c8f75040e7dae
Publisher
Name not classified · digitalmatatus.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Lists the pocket and wall maps dated 23 January 2014, the GTFS feeds dated 5 August 2015, 30 January 2017 and 30 May 2019, and the 2019 wall map. A standing page with no publication date.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Digital Matatus - Second update of Digital Matatus now live (8 Oct 2019) digitalmatatus.com · 6 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-4d23db754ea14b82
Publisher
Name not classified · digitalmatatus.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2019-10-08
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The team's announcement of the 2019 feed: data collected since 2014, the third extensive collection in six years, more than 140 routes and 4,000 stops, and a network grown from 3,300 km to 3,550 km in two years.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Digital Matatus - Updated Nairobi GTFS feed available (2 Feb 2017) digitalmatatus.com · 3 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-726311a5be7f4c6f
Publisher
Name not classified · digitalmatatus.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2017-02-02
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Announces the first update of the feed, collected for all 133 matatu routes, with upload to Google Maps to follow.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
MIT Civic Data Design Lab - Digital Matatus civicdatadesignlab.mit.edu · 3 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-d29dac99200786c2
Publisher
Name not classified · civicdatadesignlab.mit.edu
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The lead laboratory's project page: the January 2014 release, two updates to the GTFS file after the first release, a third round of data collection in the summer of 2018, and the funders. A standing page with no publication date.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
MIT Civic Data Design Lab - Digital Matatus now on Google Maps (9 Sep 2015) civicdatadesignlab.mit.edu · 3 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-6db181e6e4bf0b54
Publisher
Name not classified · civicdatadesignlab.mit.edu
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2015-09-09
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The lab's news item dating Google's announcement to 26 August 2015 and describing it as the first time an informal transit system is navigable through Google Maps - the team's own wording.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
MIT News - Digital Matatus project makes the invisible visible news.mit.edu · 10 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-edb76fac1428b626
Publisher
Name not classified · news.mit.edu
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2015-08-26
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
Open archived copy ↗ · 2026-05-22
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Dates the paper map to January 2014, reports 5,000 downloads in its first six months, data collection from February 2013, more than 3,000 stops, and five apps using the data, and describes the Google Maps integration as a first for a semiformal system.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Williams et al. 2015, Journal of Transport Geography (peer-reviewed) doi.org · 35 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-c87c43158dc2808f
Publisher
Name not classified · doi.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The peer-reviewed account: data collection from September 2012 to September 2013 on all 135 routes, the modified GTFS, the county's designation of the map as official, the launch of Google Maps transit on 26 August 2015, and the ITDP/UN-Habitat bus service plan. Publication date from Crossref; the publisher blocks automated reading.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Klopp et al. 2015 - Leveraging cellphones for wayfinding and journey planning in semi-formal bus systems (Springer, CUPUM) digitalmatatus.com · 18 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-325a89732ef15bf4
Publisher
Name not classified · digitalmatatus.com
Type / language
pdf · language not classified
Published
2015-05-21
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
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2026-10-11
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2026-10-13
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Open archived copy ↗ · 2026-04-18
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The team's chapter in Planning Support Systems and Smart Cities: the MyTracks collection from February 2013, 136 routes and 6 rail lines, the survey of 66 planning students (86% and 83%), and the ITDP bus service plan. Online date from Crossref (DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-18368-8_12); the PDF on the project site.

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Mobility Database - Digital Matatus GTFS feed tfs-535 (catalogue) mobilitydatabase.org · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-ed8c8fc320efa07c
Publisher
Name not classified · mobilitydatabase.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
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Not recorded
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2026-10-11
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2026-10-13
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The catalogue record of the original feed: service range 2 March 2012 to 31 December 2015, last fetched 5 May 2016, and the notice that the feed has been replaced with a different producer URL. A live catalogue page with no publication date.

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Mobility Database - DigitalMatatus official feed mdb-1815 (catalogue) mobilitydatabase.org · 4 linked claims

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Stable source ID
src-a6c4d7a13679ae42
Publisher
Name not classified · mobilitydatabase.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
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Record last verified
2026-10-11
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2026-10-13
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The replacing record: the same producer, DigitalMatatus, now served from the DigitalTransport4Africa repository - 136 bus routes, service range 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020, last downloaded 7 June 2024, status inactive. A live catalogue page with no publication date.

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Google Africa Blog - Nairobi transit directions now available on Google Maps (26 Aug 2015) africa.googleblog.com · 5 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-ff08226861c488fb
Publisher
Name not classified · africa.googleblog.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2015-08-26
Updated
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Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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Google's own announcement: matatu routes available on maps.google.co.ke in collaboration with Digital Matatus, with Nairobi joining 'the over 2800 towns and cities' that have the feature. Google does not call it a first.

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ITDP - New maps and open data pave way for Nairobi BRT (7 Mar 2014) itdp.org · 4 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-4dfb4e26abb551bc
Publisher
Name not classified · itdp.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2014-03-07
Updated
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2026-10-11
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2026-10-13
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ITDP's own account of using the dataset, in partnership with the Kenya National Highways Authority and UN-Habitat, for plans and recommendations for the BRT along the Uhuru Highway; calls Nairobi one of the first projects to bring informal transit into GTFS.

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Capital FM - Matatu routes now available on Google maps (26 Aug 2015) capitalfm.co.ke · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-e3822a160264c8d7
Publisher
Name not classified · capitalfm.co.ke
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2015-08-26
Updated
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Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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Nairobi press report of the launch day: 134 routes and over 3,000 stops mapped, and the integration described as a first for Google Maps.

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Columbia Climate School - Map and app help people track transit in Nairobi (26 Aug 2015) news.climate.columbia.edu · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-fdb11e71d2ddd81d
Publisher
Name not classified · news.climate.columbia.edu
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2015-08-26
Updated
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Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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The partner university's news office: some 130 routes and more than 3,000 stops, and the map downloaded more than 5,000 times in its first six months.

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Kenyans.co.ke - Nairobi launches new phone technology to ease traffic (Oct 2015) kenyans.co.ke · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-6e6f1383a52d4e22
Publisher
Name not classified · kenyans.co.ke
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
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Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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Reports Governor Evans Kidero launching Digital Matatus as a county system at the CityLab London 2015 conference and repeating that the data was used by five apps in Nairobi.

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Klopp and Cavoli 2019, Transport Reviews - Mapping minibuses in Maputo and Nairobi (peer-reviewed) doi.org · 5 linked claims

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Stable source ID
src-93f6f79d39e2115f
Publisher
Name not classified · doi.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2019-04-12
Updated
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Record last verified
2026-10-11
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2026-10-13
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Klopp and Cavoli, Transport Reviews 39(5): the spread of the method to other African cities, the Maputo council's ownership of its map, the unanswered question of who updates Nairobi's data, and the lenders who used it. Online date from Crossref; read from the UCL open-access copy.

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The Conversation - Using data from cellphones to help Nairobi crack commuter stress (2 Oct 2016) theconversation.com · 3 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-183bd1e7793f2609
Publisher
Name not classified · theconversation.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2016-10-02
Updated
Not recorded
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Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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Jacqueline Klopp's own account a year after the Google launch: the cities taking up the method, Nairobi's 138 routes against Cape Town's 600, and the need for constant updating.

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WRI - WRI and partners select 4 winners of Digital Transport for Africa innovation challenge (14 Jun 2022) wri.org · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-0432d09f4d0121fa
Publisher
Name not classified · wri.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2022-06-14
Updated
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Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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WRI's release: DigitalTransport4Africa is led by WRI and partners and funded by AFD, and only 15 African cities had mapped their public transport in a standardised open format by mid-2022.

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DigitalTransport4Africa - resource centre homepage digitaltransport4africa.org · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-9e0e6444d5dc011a
Publisher
Name not classified · digitaltransport4africa.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
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Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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The resource centre's homepage: its self-description, management by WRI and AFD, and community posts dated into 2026. A standing page with no publication date.

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DigitalTransport4Africa data commons - Nairobi repository on GitLab gitlab.com · 1 linked claim

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Stable source ID
src-921c4a123b371d40
Publisher
Name not classified · gitlab.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
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Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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The commons' Nairobi repository: GTFS, maps and papers; creation and last activity both dated 25 April 2022 in the platform's metadata. The producer URL of the Mobility Database's replacing feed points here. A live repository with no publication date.

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MobiliseYourCity / AFD - Paratransit and digital commons in Africa (slide deck, 28 Jun 2021) mobiliseyourcity.net · 2 linked claims

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Stable source ID
src-52622766854b125f
Publisher
Name not classified · mobiliseyourcity.net
Type / language
pdf · language not classified
Published
2021-06-28
Updated
Not recorded
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Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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AFD's slide deck on paratransit mapping and digital commons: the Accra copy's output and the agency's own lessons, including poor endorsement by public authorities. Dated on the slides.

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ITDP Africa - Service plan for Nairobi BRT Line 2 (Oct 2019) africa.itdp.org · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-d24a04650c3af437
Publisher
Name not classified · africa.itdp.org
Type / language
pdf · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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ITDP Africa's service plan for Nairobi's BRT Line 2: the method rests on the plan's own passenger surveys; the text does not mention Digital Matatus or GTFS. Dated October 2019 in the document.

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Capital FM - NaMATA racks up Sh1bn interest on delayed BRT payments (10 Aug 2026) capitalfm.africa · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-81e9232e2e772169
Publisher
Name not classified · capitalfm.africa
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-08-10
Updated
Not recorded
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Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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Capital FM on the Auditor-General's report for the year to 30 June 2025: the Thika Road BRT works suspended from 11 January 2022 and the project flagged as stalled.

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The Star - Nairobi BRT dream: how NaMATA plans to break Nairobi's traffic deadlock (1 Jul 2026) the-star.co.ke · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-74de368b58d8937d
Publisher
Name not classified · the-star.co.ke
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-07-01
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
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Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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The Star on the metropolitan transport authority's plans in July 2026: the BRT project stopped for lack of funding and a scheme to use existing public transport routes on five corridors.

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Known limits of this file
  • Publisher names and source languages have not yet been classified; domains are recorded without guessing.
  • Existing source notes are descriptive locators, not page- or paragraph-exact citations.
  • A missing archive, publication date or content hash is shown as null rather than inferred.
  • The project-level evidence grade ranks the strongest source in the entry; it is not a truth score for every claim.