Uganda: Boda boda rider breaks taboos

Female taxi driver breaks tradition - 2nd May 2022

Allen Kisakye Butundu, one of Uganda's first women motorbike taxi or 'boda boda' drivers, is hoping to inspire other women to take up this role. Since it's generally reserved for men in Uganda, the 27 year old was initially discouraged from learning to ride a motorcycle.

She even faced abuse when on her bike as "The community were shocked to see a female rider." She added, "Some people would even shout things at me and chase me." Butundu made the decision to start riding two years ago to save money travelling between the capital, Kampala, and the rural areas where she worked as a social worker.

In a society where gender stereotyping is common, Butundu's own journey has been a bumpy one and, to start with, her husband "refused completely" to act as driving instructor. Determined, she'd stop passing boda boda motorcyclists, explaining, "I'm not a customer but I want to learn how to ride this bike." She picked up driving skills in return for a small fee or some petrol money. After a while, her husband accepted her wishes, and paid the deposit on a £1400 bike.

12 months ago, Butundu was taken on as a full-time driver by Safeboda and her daily takings can now reach £10. She's full of praise for the start-up, which has around 26,000 boda boda drivers and is gaining respect in the wider community by training its drivers and prioritising their safety.

Despite this, she initially felt uncomfortable riding about locally. "I felt ashamed at first," she admitted. "I used to pack my helmet and my trousers in a bag and change near my bike, which I parked away from the house. But then I thought – I have to start accepting that this is part of my work."

Butundu trusts that her achievement might persuade other women to follow in her footsteps.