Kwaheri, the Nairobi way

In a lot of cities, connections between transport hubs and channels are crucial to ensure seamless movement. This must sound like a line from a geography teacher fresh from college but bear with me.

Airports are usually served by efficient bus shuttle and train services. At least that seems to be the template in a lot of places, until you land at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, JKIA to the initiated.

It is difficult enough for a local bringing back his new found ‘tweng’ after a few days huko majuu. But it must be positively frightening for a first time visitor.

It would take a couple of visits to figure out that the taxi guy has been ripping you off.

After spending sometime visiting the beautiful attractions littered all over, it is time to go back. And as fate would have it, some not so smart visitor decides to take a bus back to the airport.

Not so smart because even Kenyans do not take the bus to the airport, unless of course you work there and the flight timetable is none of your business. But if you are rushing to catch a plane and time is not on your side, look around for a taxi, or even a boda boda.

Speaking of which, are those boda bodas allowed anywhere near the airport? Apart from Kisumu that is.

Just cab it

Not to mention the uncertainty over whether the darn bus will come soon, if ever. Many are the times you stand at a bus stop waiting for a bus to the airport shifting your luggage from one hand to another.

After deciding time is running out you hop into a taxi and just as the driver pulls off, the bus turns up. What to do, do you hop out again and pay the Sh50 bus fare to the airport or suck it up and pay the cab guy Sh1,000 to?

Anyway, the bus’ scenic route takes you along Jogoo Road and Outer Ring Road. By the time the driver navigates around the blaring, green Kayole mats, gets into a cursing match with Buru Buru touts and hits a couple of potholes to check his suspension system, the plane will have left you.

And that is before you are even welcomed to Outer Ring Road with the smell of Nairobi River escorting sewerage downstream. It is as if everything conspires to make you breath in Nairobi’s waste as the stretch is slow.

After holding your breath for a short time you realise the futility of it and go with the flow. By the time you hit North Airport Road, you are considering walking the rest of the way.

And just like that, all those images of lions and scenic valleys are replaced by this one image of a greenish, brown river struggling under the weight of Nairobians’ lunch.