They are driven by need and difficult economic conditions
Female motorcycle taxi drivers in Kenya are trying to prove themselves
Motorcycle taxi drivers are on the rise.
From the source
Motorcycle taxi drivers face many dangers.
From the source
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When Ellen Ngala is on her motorbike through the streets of Dandora, a crowded slum in the capital, Nairobi, people stop and stare.
As she rode around on her blue bicycle, children and adults alike were waving and calling.
Ngala is one of a growing number of young women who have joined the ranks of Kenya's "bodaboda" sector, which is made up of a large number of "bike-taxi" drivers who support the often chaotic public transport;
It serves about four million residents of Nairobi.
Bodaboda drivers, whether along the potholed sidewalks of Nairobi or the dirt roads of villages in the countryside, were almost the exclusive domain of men.
But with Kenya's cost of living rising, and the roles of men and women changing for the younger generations, more women are donning helmets and becoming motorcycle taxi drivers.
But even as the work offers flexibility and a better return than many traditional jobs, women must struggle to navigate the inconveniences and dangers of the job, in a profession widely considered a man's job.
At the motorcycle taxi stand where Ngala works, men have come to appreciate her skills.
"They like to joke around, but they show respect," she says of her colleagues.
One of the colleagues, who is called the "Joker", was quick to praise his female colleague at work, saying, "She is a good driver," adding, "You get many customers."
The motive of necessity
In 2015, when Faith Osiboa started working as a motorcycle taxi driver in her neighborhood in the suburb of Kibera, the presence of women in this profession was so rare that it was described as a first in Nairobi.
Now, the 32-year-old Osibua heads the Nairobi women's chapter of the Kenya Bouda Society, which currently has 42 members.
“There are a lot of young women who are trying to join Bodaboda,” says Aseebua.
With her experience, she can help new drivers get involved in the profession.
“I help them find training and get the right equipment, so they can work safely,” she says.
Despite recent great strides, a lack of female representation and parity persists across Kenya.
The historic elections, in August, brought more women to power than ever before, with one-fifth of the parliamentary representatives now being women;
However, this is still below the target set by Kenya for gender representation.
Meanwhile, out of some 1.5 million "bodaboda" drivers, the Boda Safety Association of Kenya says only 5,000 are women.
The unregulated nature of this activity makes it difficult to pinpoint an exact number.
However, the recent rise of women in this field has been noted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which helped launch the women's chapter of the Budapuda Society in Kenya.
The organization provided education on violence, health and reproduction, and said that the female drivers had benefited from training and were ready to work on the street.
"They are more affected by most of these issues because of the patriarchal nature of society," says Keegan Courier, an official in charge of the United Nations Population Fund's programs. "I think the motive to achieve a better return encouraged most of them to join the male-dominated sector," noting that most Motorcycle taxi drivers have dual roles, as mothers and sole breadwinners.
As a safer alternative, motorbike taxis are ubiquitous in Kenya - and most of East Africa - but the sector is heavily stigmatized.
The vast majority of riders are young men known collectively as "vijana" in Swahili, and many view them negatively.
From accusations of unsafe driving, theft and harassment, or even fueling political unrest, Bodaboda drivers are the epicenter of all the ills plaguing Kenyan cities, unwelcome by motorists and pedestrians alike.
In March, a woman was involved in a traffic accident with a motorcyclist, and a large group of motorcyclists attacked her and surrounded her car.
Images of the incident were widely circulated, further undermining the sector's reputation.
But such accidents are rare, and motorbikes are an essential part of the transportation chain across Kenya, providing a 'last mile' solution to inadequate public transport systems and an affordable, if riskier, alternative to taxis.
For commuters, female bodaboda drivers are seen as a safer alternative to male drivers.
They say it's not so much the fear of theft or assault as the extra care of passengers and their response to concerns.
• With the rising cost of living in Kenya, and the changing roles of men and women for the younger generations, more women are wearing helmets and becoming motorcycle taxi drivers.
• 1.5 million "Budaboda" drivers, including 5,000 women.
A source of concern
"I am not a rough driver," says Elaine Ngala. "We are more careful, and the passengers trust me to drive the motorcycle well and without problems."
Often, she says, this means driving carefully, not overtaking recklessly, or disrupting other drivers.
Meanwhile, safety remains a concern for both drivers and passengers.
For female drivers, there is physical danger in their work, and few are willing to work after dark.
Everyone knows the story of a driver who was lured by a passenger, who was beaten and his motorcycle was stolen by accomplices of the passenger.
Clear controls
Bodaboda drivers were in the spotlight in early March 2022 when a group of riders assaulted a female motorist in Nairobi.
President Uhuru Kenyatta then ordered a nationwide crackdown in an attempt to impose order.
This sector has long operated without clear controls;
drivers are not trained in road safety;
Most of them don't even have a driver's license, and they do as they please.
This has led to the formation of criminal gangs, where impunity prevails, especially on the road.
The chaotic situation endangered the drivers, some lost their lives along with their innocent passengers, and thousands were injured.
In 2019, for example, 1,421 bodaboda drivers and their passengers died, compared to 1,049 motorists and their passengers.
Some of the motorcyclists have been charged with actively participating in or abetting the crime.
Some have been accused of helping to remove or hide the bodies of those killed by criminals.
Women crowd out men in hard work to help the family. From the source
another level
Women deal with this reality by establishing their own personal safety rules, from never carrying two passengers at once, to avoiding dangerous neighborhoods or texting others while riding.
Despite the risks, there has been a steady increase in the number of women bodaboda drivers.
Many, like Vivian Atyonu, take advantage of the flexibility that work offers, juggling work and childcare.
Ationo can take her daughter to school, work a few hours, take a break to play basketball, and then look for more clients.
She can be home on time and pick up her daughter from school, she says.
For the 21-year-old, there are many benefits to this profession, and the payout is better than traditional jobs, such as housecleaning.
You pay the owner of the bike a daily rental fee of 500 shillings (about $4), and you earn at least the same amount at the end of each day.
Riding motorbikes all day, being exposed to the scorching sun or heavy rain, struggling with bumps and dirt roads;
Work affects drivers.
Most of the women in the field are young, and while the money is good now, they are already looking to the future.
Sitting on her bike at the downtown intersection where she works, Acebua gave the same answer as any other motorcyclist when asked about driving a taxi. "I hope to go to another level," she replied. "Maybe I drive Uber, but it's hard to buy a car." Follow-up, "When you receive your salary in cash every day, and not a monthly salary, it is difficult to save money."
Before she could explain her plans, a woman in a brightly printed dress, handset in her ear, approached and waved her hand to indicate she wanted to ride.
The woman climbed onto the motorbike, Isiboa put on her helmet and disappeared in an instant.
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