Around 2006, i happened to land a trucking job as a transporter for a contractor building KCB Juba. I had bought a new Actros Mp1, few months earlier so when the said job came up you can imagine the joy. Coming to think of it, what was being paid then from Nairobi to Juba (600k) and now from Mombasa to Juba (400k) kweli @Meria Mata trucking in Kenya is on its deathbed.
The 2 trucks did a few trips, the only problem was always having to use the lokichogio route. I remember then going to Juba through Uganda was cumbersome. The only route available through Uganda was Yei.
I remember one time my trucks were loading, the mhindi contractors son “Patel” informs me that his father intends to buy his own trucks as it seems @maasai 101 is making a killing on just transport. They then bring another mhindi truck which loads as we load, tupelekane convoy ya gari tatu.
Few days later we leave Nairobi for loki, and funnily Patel is in the hired 3rd truck ndio ajue siri na hesabu za barabara.
As we awaited clearing to be done in loki, these three laws were always adhered to.
1st. We always left our valuables and suitcases at a lodge we used to spend and pick them up tukirudi back to civilisation.
2nd. Unaingia soko ya mtumba kununua tshirt za 100bob za one week na a mixture
of shorts and trousers. Hizo ndio za kuvaa ukiingia S Sudan.
3. Changing money to the lowest denomination possible na kugawa ndio incase wezi wakuje unamtolea kidogo anaona ni mingi.
The anger of knowing i was going to lose the job made me not chanua Patel and his driver, in as much as i knew ni wageni kwa route.
I remember it was the start of the rainy season so the roads we’re a bit muddy. We didn’t even do 50km the first day into sudan as one truck got stuck in the mud so decided to rest for the night. As we were having supper around a fire nikaona majamaa mrefu, around ten of them, naked and darker than darkness itself appear from no where pointing guns at us. Nikaskia Patel who was seated next to me akiomba na kihindi na harufu ya mkojo. Kuangalia chini kumbe mhindi amejikojolea…
To be continued by 9am. Blessed day talkers.