Boda Boda Lady: I ride in Nairobi routes where few dare

Jane Munyiha Boda boda girl from Korogocho during the interview. PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE

NAIROBI: A boda boda in Korogocho and Dandora is not news. What is news is seeing a lady maneuver the machine along the slum’s alleys. It is for this reason that each time Jane Munyiha cruises-by with a passenger atop her motorcycle, many stare.

The 20-year-old is however, used to this and it does not deter her from doing her job.

The mother of two has been in the boda boda business for one year now. She previously worked as a hotel attendant in Korogocho before she opted out to join the transport business.

“It all started in Korogocho slums when I was a hotel attendant. During my free time, I would practice riding a motorcycle and one day, a man spotted me and admired my prowess at riding. He offered me a job to operate his motorcycle and told me I should give him Sh400 everyday and keep the rest,” she says.

Her first passengers were young boys since the adults dismissed as not being equal to the task.

“Most people who knew me refused to board my motorcycle and I really had to convince them that I could carry them safely to their destinations. People slowly gained confidence in me and were awed by my determination. They now believe in my and love my services,” she says.

But what does it take to be the only female boda boda rider in what is considered among Nairobi’s crime prone slums?

“I have not encountered any incident since I started my job. Nowadays, robberies have declined in the area making it easy for us to do our work. But sometimes male passengers deliberately refuse to pay me and instead ask for love affairs,” she says.

Jane operates from a stage in Korogocho called Paradise and she is the only lady there covering Korogocho, Baba Dogo and Dandora areas. We ask her if it was hard for her to fit in.

“At first, I was afraid of competition from young male riders who had experience in the field. But in a great turn of events, I was able to attract my own set of clients especially those who do not like speed,” she says.

With regular clients who even call her to transport them to various destinations, Jane is able to take home Sh500 on a good day and Sh200 on a bad day.

It is however, not all good since she will sometimes ferry passengers who then refuse to pay once they arrive at their destination but this does not stop her from her work. She notes that every job has its challenges and chooses to confront them head-on.

Jane’s day starts at 5am when she wakes up to prepare breakfast for her three-year-old who she then escorts to school. At 7am she takes her two-year-old to a nearby day care then leaves for her job.

She is done by 5pm when she picks her children then heads home to cook for her family. Her husband is also a boda boda operator in Korogocho.

“I got married immediately after finishing class eight when I was 16-years-old. I was brought up in a humble background and I could not proceed to secondary school,” she says.

Jane now dreams of working hard so she can one day acquire her own motorcycle and improve her living standards.

“There is no work that women cannot do. Everything you put your hand to only needs passion and determination for one to succeed,” she says.