The Godsend Boda Boda Riders Of Gwa Kairu Estate

Residents of the Gwa Kairu estate in Kiambu County frequently mention an underpass along the Thika Superhighway in whispers.

That’s because when night falls, muggers convert the lane into a “hunting field,” scaring locals who arrive home after work late.

Residents have had to rely on boda boda drivers, who frequently park near the underpass and wait for clients coming home from work, to keep them safe.

Since the riders are parked just a few meters away, the muggers are unable to carry out their plans as a result of their presence.

The boda boda drivers, in the opinion of the Gwa Kairu estate residents, are a blessing.

Residents who arrive late at home from work frequently feel more confident there, and the riders are happy to assist.

“It’s true that residents only pass through the tunnel when riders are parked here. I guess they feel more secure,” Douglas Kiarie, a rider in the area, told Wananchi Reporting.

“You will not find people walking through this tunnel in our absence. If you try that anytime past 10.30pm, you will definitely be robbed,” he adds.

“Many residents have been mugged on their way home. The muggers waylay them at the dark ends of the tunnel before melting away,” noted Kiarie.
The tunnel is reasonably lit, but at night it can feel isolated and unsafe due to the railway line that runs through it.

Residents only muster the guts to cross it when riders are waiting for customers nearby and have parked their vehicles close by.

Kiarie claims that the residents have benefited greatly from their presence as riders.

“Once you are dropped at the bus stop, and you find that the riders are not around, you don’t dare use that route. You have to look for an alternative route,” Milkah Waithera, a resident of the area told Wananchi Reporting.
Residents who arrive home after 10 o’clock often have to risk their lives by scurrying across the busy road to get to the estate.

The alternative involves taking a second matatu to Kimbo town, which is about a kilometer distant, and then connecting by boda boda to the estate.