How I Survived a Near-Fatal Boda Boda Crash While Racing to Beat Curfew

My name is Gilbert, and I live in Githurai 44. I work as a matatu conductor, but on weekends, I usually run deliveries using my cousin’s boda boda. That’s how I earn a little extra to help pay for my younger brother’s school fees. Life in Nairobi isn’t easy—if you don’t hustle wisely, you’ll go to bed hungry.

At the start of 2023, I began to worry about the rising number of accidents I was witnessing. It became almost routine to hear that someone you knew had been knocked down while riding. Sometimes it was reckless drivers. Other times, it was riders speeding to escape the police or trying to beat the curfew. I lost two close friends that way—both died instantly.

I started getting nervous. Every time I got on the bike for a delivery, I felt a heavy tightness in my chest. There was one week when I narrowly avoided two different accidents in a single day. A car door swung open suddenly, and later a drunk man dashed into the road without warning. That same night, a female customer said something that shook me. To Read More, Tap Here