By Kimberly L. Bryant
Boda bodas, or motorcycle taxis, are an integral part of Kampala, Uganda’s energetic capital city. By far the fastest way to zip around and beat the city’s heavy traffic, boda boda drivers have collectively earned a poor reputation for their erratic driving practices at unsafe, high speeds. Most travel guides warn tourists not to use them, since their rate of accidents — and death — is so high.
Drivers are also generally deemed untrustworthy, another reason why foreigners sometimes steer clear. Fear-inducing stories frequently circulate about women getting raped by their driver at night, or having items stolen. When combined with Kampala’s disastrous, chaotic road conditions, taking a boda boda can indeed feel like, and be, a very dangerous affair.
But what if we take a moment to look beyond the surface of this subculture and learn more about the men behind the wheel? One man, American Micheal Wilkerson, is doing just that: this journalist-cum-social-entrepreneur is devoting his life to help shift the perception of boda boda drivers — from the ground up. He is the CEO and co-founder of Tugende: Drive to Own, an organization that gives boda boda drivers in Kampala the opportunity to own their own motorcycle. A driver becomes an official bike owner when he has completed his regular monthly payments to Tugende for the total sum of the bike.
In the Ugandan language of Luganda, Tugende suitably means, “let’s go!”
When a boda driver owns his bike, not only do his profits double, he also benefits emotionally and mentally: feelings of an increased sense of security, job stability, and encouragement to plan for the future are but a few of the positive effects that come with bike ownership. Before Tugende, most boda drivers would simply not be given the chance to own their bike.
Of course, with all new endeavors come new challenges. Since people are usually wary of boda drivers, Michael’s radical plan was initially met with a lot of skepticism from his peers. But by trusting his gut, Michael persevered with Tugende. He’s since proven to naysayers that the majority of his large boda driver clientele are indeed trustworthy, responsible individuals who make timely payments. As Tugende empowers boda drivers to take charge of their own future, they’re responding in kind.
So what does the life of a boda boda driver look like? Most of Tugende’s clients belong to one of the myriad boda boda stages scattered throughout in the city. A boda boda stage is a specific place, street-side, where a group of drivers station themselves to wait for clients. Each stage has a different name, usually based on the location. Further, each have their own executive committees, comprised of positions including chairman, vice chairman, secretary general, secretary of defense, and more. The committee holds regular meetings to discuss any issues that arise, such as poor behavior from a member, medical situations, and thievery.
Rest assured, not just any boda driver can join a stage: there is an initiation fee that varies according to the stage’s average earnings, and all new members need to be approved by the executive committee. Clearly, there is a lot of accountability and responsibility required from stage members, both personally and financially. But even so, being a stage member is appealing for two main reasons: earnings from stages are much higher, and there is increased protection and safety for all of the members.
For safety purposes, many foreigners and Ugandans alike will only take a boda driver who is part of a stage. The chances of the driver being responsible and trustworthy are much higher if they belong to a stage community.
John Kyabasinga, 50, is one of Tugende’s more outgoing boda drivers. Unlike the other city-dwelling boda drivers, John lives out in a village in Nalusuga, Nyangabo, in Kyandono, Subcounty Wakiso district. He lives there with his wife, Hadija Nansubuga, and their three children on a large piece of land purchased with his income from boda driving.
About a 15-minute drive from his village home is the Ntinda boda boda stage, where John is not only a member, but also the chairman. The stage is called Agaliawamu, meaning “˜combined efforts and energy’ ““- a name fitting for its amiable drivers. As chairman, John is responsible for holding meetings and dealing with stage problems (he is also working to pay off his first motorbike loan). For example, John has the right to revoke membership from any driver who displays inappropriate behavior.
At this particular stage a driver earns, on average, between 20-30,000 UGX (8-12USD) per day. They each pay a membership fee of 300,000 UGX (approx. 120USD), which is pooled together for emergency uses that might include helping pay medical costs if a member is ill, or donating to their family if they lose a loved one.
Like most drivers I spoke with, John’s favorite aspect of driving a boda boda is the stable, up-front income with which it provides him:
“I’ve been working a long time in different jobs, including teaching, selling fish, and more. I like this job the most because I can earn enough money to buy land, and it is daily income business. Also, there are no creditors. This is very important in Uganda because people often don’t pay back.”
The challenges he sights are also universal among the majority of drivers, namely accidents and thievery: “So many drivers get into accidents. Also, you never know when someone will turn out to be a thief. I had a friend who got seriously beaten and his motorcycle stolen. He recovered, but this happens often. You pick someone up and then they ask to stop off in a vacant place where they can do whatever they want to you. If people have a gun or a hammer, they hit you over the head and steal your bike. This happens a lot. Most boda bodas fear this.”
One of the more lucrative boda boda stages in Kampala is in Kisementi. Higher traffic and more foreigners mean daily earnings between 40-50,000UGX (16-20USD), and higher. This also means a higher membership fee of 1 million UGX (approx. 390USD), which also serves as a screening device for drivers who are not yet up to Kisementi’s high financial par. Drivers here are regarded as quite responsible; their upscale clientele demands it.
Kisementi stage members Alex Bainobushikiro, 35, and Stephen Nkundizana, 34, enjoy the financial fruits of the job. Stephen is the defense secretary, in charge of security issues at the stage. He notes, “with this job I can support my family and help save to start other small businesses on the side.” As for challenges, he also mentions the high theft rate. “Thieves will sometimes come, hit you on a head with a hammer, and steal your money and motorcycle. It’s terrible.”
His colleague, Alex, is married with 5 children, offering, “I can always pay my kids’ school fees, and save money to have other street stands.” Rampant theft and getting physically beaten are the fears he faces daily.
Onesmus Ahimbisibwe (27) is one of Tugende’s all-star boda drivers, having managed to be the fastest so far at paying off his bike loan — in an unprecedented time-frame of 8 months. As the chairman of the Kamwokya Stage, he is now working to pay off a second bike loan from Tugende. Currently he enjoys the extra income from renting out his first fully owned bike to one of his stage members. Like the others, Onesmus enjoys the boda boda driving because “it’s the only job I can get that lets me earn enough money on a daily, consistent basis.”
Tugende is helping to make significant shifts in the lives of these boda drivers through empowerment and trust. Perceptions of this hard-working group are likely to also change over time, as more people learn about the men behind the bodas. The escalating impact that Tugende is making is a testament to the positive action made possible through social entrepreneurship, passion, and faith in humanity.
Let’s go!
