boda-boda

Boda-boda

The story told is that there are border crossings where passengers are required to walk between immigration offices while the bus with their luggage drives. These offices are a small ways apart and enterprising young men hired out first bicycles and now motorcycles to give rides between offices. There are of course some who say this is nonsense and that motorcycles are called boda-bodas because that is what they sound make.  Either way a motorcycle for hire in Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania is called boda-boda.

It used to be growing up that there were all sorts of different types of bikes according to whatever had struck the whim of the missionary who imported them. Honda trail 90 and later 110 were popular in certain circles and had about the utility and style of a Vespa. Others chose more robust dirt bikes. Either way they were fairly uncommon. Today most of those bikes have been worn out and have been replaced in volume with Chinese bikes with 125cc engines.  With such small displacement they are fairly enigmatic compared to most street bikes in the states which you would not want to take on the interstate with less than 750cc. There are different brand names on these bikes and come with different configurations of seat/luggage rack but to my all look pretty much the same. At about $1000-1300, they are affordable to a great many Africans.

Pundits talk no end of the need for democracy and rule of law. No doubt these are important but these humble machines are doing much to bring freedom and opportunity to Africa.  Everybody would love to afford a car. These provide a stepping stone up from a bicycle. Yesterday the guy giving me a ride said you could drive one to Dar Es Salaam on 2 tanks of gas which would be as cheap as bus fare. You wouldn't of course because of all the fool bus and truck drivers running you off the road, but you could.

Rain is the down side.