In Kisumu, the third largest city of Kenya, bicycles can be seen everywhere on the streets. Compared with the capital Nairobi where cars are predominant, Kisumu is considered the "kingdom of bicycles" in Kenya.

Every day you can see cyclists with their bicycles at their side at busy street intersections. So why aren't they riding them? Actually, they are waiting for passengers to take a ride. Passengers come from all walks of life, ranging from public servants in formal suits to housewives with kids in their arms. They pay some money to the cyclists, sit on the backseat and take the bike taxi to wherever they want to go in Kisumu.

This kind of bike taxi has a lovely name, "border-border." But Kisumu is not a border town. So where do the taxis get their name? Otieno is a resident of Kisumu. He works for Kisumu airport. Every day he takes a border-border from home to the bus station and then takes the bus to work. He explains how the name has come about.

"Originally it came from Uganda, you see we border Uganda. There were vehicles by then crossing the border. However, it was quite expensive. We' ve got people from Uganda who want to sell their wares to Kenya. The cheapest way to do that is by bicycle. So they name it 'border-border' because it operates from Kenyan border to Ugandan border."

Gradually the cyclists thought of carrying passengers between Kenya and Uganda instead of just transporting goods. They charge them some money, normally as low as 10 shillings per kilometer, much less expensive than car taxis. The low price has made the bike taxi quite popular in Kisumu. At present, there are around 14,000 "border-borders" on the streets.

Otieno says compared to cars, border-borders are more convenient. And most importantly, many unemployed people can make a living with them:

"You want border-border to pass on to take up to your house, he' ll take you there. And you can go anywhere you want. It¡¯s unlike when you take a vehicle, they are stationing somewhere, like the bus-stop, and that is the end. In addition, the border-border people want to make a living. They also have families. So within your heart, you feel you have to give this person something, so you decide to ride on a bicycle."
It is really arduous work for border-border cyclists. They have to work from dawn to dark, seven days a week, in spite of heavy downpour and sweltering heat. So, most of the cyclists are young men in their early twenties. Generally speaking, they can earn 800 to 1,000 shillings every day. On some occasions, they can only get around 100 shillings; such meagre income just enough for staple foods for their families.

Border-borders bring convenience to the locals; however, they are a bit dangerous and liable to cause traffic accidents. So, the local government has taken some measures to ensure passenger safety. Here is Otieno again:

"For cyclists, they don' t need to receive special training. Instead, after practicing two or three days, they can cycle. So the municipal council wanted to restrict them to some areas within the city center. And special lanes have been set for border-border and pedestrians now, which brings down the accident rate between the cyclists and vehicles."

Most of the bicycles for border-borders come from China and India. They cost about 5,000 to 6,000 shillings. The most expensive one is the Chinese renowned brand, "Phoenix," which can cost nearly 8,000 shillings. Because of its good quality, it is most popular among the public in spite of its high price.

The cyclists often spend around 500 shillings modifying the new bicycles they have purchased. They either install lighting and a back mirror or put soft cushion on the backseat to make it more comfortable. Some of them apply bright color to the bikes to make them more eye-catching. After being used for one month, some parts wear out and so the cyclists change them with new ones for reinforcement.

Some cyclists buy several bicycles. One for themselves and the rest to rent to those who cannot afford one. They can then earn extra money from renting. Otieno heard about this from a cyclist:

"Some will buy five bicycles to do the business. Then at the end of a day, they pass on that they will give the bicycle to the owners and also give him some money like a hundred or a hundred and fifty a day for hiring the bicycle so within whatever remains on top is his."

Editor: Donald