By Peter Thatiah
It is nowhere near a ride in a matatu or a taxi, but it is the only way to get around on Lamu Island, which has only one vehicle.
Ziwa Abdallah, my guide, laughed as he told me as soon as I alighted from a boat from Mokowe Jetty, "Let me take you to the bus stage."
We arrived there and I realise why he had laughed as he spoke. He should have called it a donkey stop given that, standing idly were over 20 donkeys and their owners waiting for passengers.
The writer rides a donkey on Lamu Island. READ MORENew "air taxis" debut in central China as nation accelerates low-altitude drive Motoring: Why Suzuki is winning Kenya's taxi market Mystery as Garissa taxi driver dies in controversial circumstances Digital taxi drivers win fight for new rates as strike disrupts market |
A donkey carries a rider along a typical narrow street in the island town. Photos: Peter Thatiah |
I was the only passenger, and the beast of burden appeared little bothered by my weight as it pulled out of the donkey stop and leisurely took me down Lamu’s scenic main road by the sea front. As one would rock in a speeding matatu driven in zigzag motion, the majestic stroll of the donkey takes some getting used to as it sways the rider from side to side. The ride would cost me Sh50 for about one kilometre.
Donkey stop
Here, the donkey is the dominant mode of transport. Donkey touts and owners stand at a zone designated for them by the local council and yell for passengers. In true matatu culture, the owners have fancy names for their donkeys. There is a donkey called Reggae Boy and another called Manda King. Others include Koffi Annan, Mashood Abiola and Dennis Oliech. Abdallah picked Ocampo for me.
The narrow streets of Lamu and the fact that this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site have retained the island’s ancient look that attracts many tourists.
No vehicle can fit into the streets of the island town and the law forbids anyone from pulling down structures to create room for motorised transport and other forms of modern infrastructure like tall buildings, discotheques and shopping malls.
The only vehicle is a Government Landcruiser for the District Commissioner that uses the beach road. The administrator has to walk or catch a donkey if he is venturing into the town streets.
Handle passengers
Ocampo, like many of his fellow donkeys in Lamu, is trained to handle passengers with courtesy without kicking.
A visitor who wants to hire a donkey in Lamu can be coached how to use one in a few hours.
"Unlike horses which obey only their regular riders, donkeys get acquainted to new people pretty fast," says Abdallah.
The donkey here is man’s best friend. They carry people, luggage, medical supplies, water and anything that needs ferrying. In one clinic a donkey cart is converted into an ambulance.
Young men revel in outsmarting each other in nurturing the most disciplined and strongest donkey on the island. To own the best donkey here is a statement that you have reached manhood.
And as I realised when I was leaving, the donkeys seem to have a sense of nostalgia. As I boarded a speedboat back to the mainland and back to Mombasa, Ocampo stood at the jetty looking out into the sea as if dejected. I felt like I was doing injustice for one named after an international seeker of justice.
