Nervous in Nairobi

Driving in Nairobi is proving to be a terrifying experience! BUT I am out there doing what I have to do, getting on with the driving in order to get around this big city. Here's the proof... although the picture does not do justice to the fear and trembling I am feeling as I drive nervously around Nairobi!

So what makes me so nervous to drive in Nairobi? Well, here a few factors:

• The huge number of cars on the roads here has increased faster than the infrastructure, meaning that roads are crowded and poorly equipped for the volume of heavy traffic. There are multiple traffic jams up and down Nairobi's hilly roads.
• Nairobi's high crime rate. I hear of car-jacking incidents, theft through car windows (one lady we know of had her necklace snatched off her neck as she sat in stationary traffic with the car window wound down), hold-up situations where armed gun-men on the street demand money, bags and jewelry from motorists while pointing guns at the car (I heard that one of these incidents happened last week not far from the children's school). 

I have been briefed that it is always best to drive with all windows up, all doors locked and never to stop for so-called "emergencies" on the roadside. The first week that we were here, I saw a lady apparently having an epileptic fit on the road, with another lady bending over here looking very concerned. Unsure what to do, I phoned another local MAF lady. Her advice?

"Never stop! This is a very common scam. It could be an ambush to get you to stop. If you do, the criminals will jump into your car for a car-jacking". 

ARGH!!! What a terrible thought! Especially when Joel is almost certainly going to be belted into his car-seat. I don't even want to think about what the possible consequences of that could be...

• Lack of respect for road rules. Not much different from driving in Tanzania in that area! Here is a shot of my drive to school with Esther and Ben one drizzly Nairobi morning:

 I am second in a line of cars trying to turn right from a single-carriageway onto Nairobi's very busy Gitanga Road. Two cars in the queue behind me obviously got fed up with waiting in line! Instead, they have jumped the queue- one car to the right of me and one to the left, driving up the muddy pavement!
The car to my right has now blocked the right hand lane on our road, meaning that another vehicle on Gitanga Road is unable to turn into our road and is forced to wait, stuck in the middle of the heavy traffic on Gitanga Road, creating a worse blockage!
 Meanwhile, there seemed to be a problem with the minibus, which was holding up traffic too. You can see a man in dark red clothes who hopped into the centre of the road to do some impromptu directing of traffic to try and clear up the tangle of cars! When I eventually edged forward to take my chances on my right-hand turn, he kept hammering on my bonnet to get me to follow his directives, but I am also advised that it is best to make my own decisions to get through these messy traffic muddles.
At least all this drama makes the school run interesting, even if it adds to journey time and to my stress levels!

• Lack of road markings. Several 4-way junctions that I am obliged to use when getting to shops or to school have absolutely no markings, no traffic lights, no round-about, but there are so many cars each trying to get through; to the left, to the right or straight. Not everyone indicates. For me, these junctions are knee-wobbling moments in my Nairobi driving experience! It is a test of sheer aggression to push through the other cars to get to the side you are aiming for, mixed with the need to be highly alert to where other motorists may be headed! Last Thursday, I saw 3 car accidents at 3 different junctions before noon! The cars involved had all been bumped by cars coming from another direction. This does not exactly fill me with confidence as I brace myself for each new junction challenge!

• Just when I was celebrating the fact that I was out and about in the car, I came back down to earth with a literal bump, as I realised the extent of Nairobi's pot-holes! Here's a couple of minor ones outside Esther and Ben's new school:

I am nervous about getting a puncture or breaking down with all these pot-holes- the last thing I want to do with a car full of children on congested city roads, with opportunist robbers apparently lurking around every corner!!

• Traffic police are often out in force looking for opportunities to book motorists for driving offences. If I inadvertently offend, I could end up in jail for a few hours and then in court to plead my case. Last week, our American neighbour was arrested for doing a U-turn on a main road and a Swiss MAF colleague arrested and hand-cuffed for changing lanes on a roundabout! That scares me!

To counter the nerves and to keep on driving, I have been given some sound advice about driving here. The first one is my favourite!

1. Drive like you're the only driver who is sober
2. Stay on high alert- check mirrors, check mirrors, check mirrors ( for motorbikes over or under-taking, men pushing trolleys, cyclists and pedestrians, as well as other usual vehicles or even the odd horse or camel we have spotted on the roads here!)
3. In traffic jams, stop your car a few feet away from the vehicle in front: enough space to be able to get out if you need to but not enough to let an unscrupulous driver push in front of you! It's a tough one to judge...
4. Be nice, be polite but be careful what you say to traffic officers if they stop you - and swot up on Kenyan road laws! Keep all your relevant documents to hand.

So much to remember! So many hazards! It's scary, but it's necessary to drive in this city, so here's hoping that the nerves and trembling ease off over time!!