its been a year since i left this place, i returned in January this year only to find things just as they were if not worse. The road still has potholes the size of a wheel barrow every 5 meters. The dust is so much that it actually reduces visibility to 20 meters. Dust storms are common here after which everyone is left brown, covered in dust and coughing . Getting to mwihoko takes faith, courage and a spirited sense of adventure. Drivers here can tolerate anything. Driving speeds range from 0 to 25km/hr. Every one moves slowly bumping into mis-shapen bumbs and small ditches scattered all over the road. The vehicles used here are those rejected elsewhere. They have poorly working lights, windows are a luxury and paper bags are sometimes used in their place. Those with covered sits and a radio (albeit hand held) are called "Nganya" meaning cool and stylish vehicle.
At night drivers steer with one hand while holding a torch with the other. Their touts keep watch with another torch to show the oncoming vehicle that its not a motorbike. Those with both lights, they are not focused and they face up, sideways, anywhere but the road. They serve the purpose of letting an oncoming vehicle know you are moving too.
Doors get stuck so often we dont get shocked anymore. The touts use all techniques trying to open the doors, including kicking it with their legs. Can you imagine him taking that position to kick the door open, he leans back onto the passengers, lifts his leg and kicks the door, sometime you can hear the passengers encouraging him saying "put more effort" or ""try again". there are instances when these methods fail and we are forced to exit through the window. I however have not yet had the pleasure.
One day, the matatu stopped halfway, the driver said its spoiled but they can fix it. spoiled is used here to mean mechanical failure. Since these matatus are few, there is never the luxury of getting off and boarding another one. So you wait. The tout came to my side and said "madam ebu toka kidogo" he wanted me to get off. so i did. He casually pulled out the sit and put it on the side of the road, exposing a confusion of twisted wires and a battery somewhere in the mix. He meddled with them until the vehicle started up again. In case you were wondering the sit was placed back onto the vehicle and i was invited back on it. we kept driving on like nothing had happened....only in the land of hope!
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