The four musketeers of Kenya: the adventures of bike riding

Four MusketeersAddis Ababa, Ethiopia - Unlike the four musketeers of Alexander Dumas, our friends are not swordsmen who fight so courageously to occupy enemies’ strongholds, or fight for their freedom.

They are typical countrymen from Kenya who happen to be fond of having fun with their motorbikes. They love riding. That is all. They have crossed most East African countries riding medium horse-powered bikes.

Just last week they hit the road to Ethiopia and rode some 1,662 km up here from Nairobi.  And that’s how they had a real adventure. The four of them came down here by themselves to face the road challenges and enjoy a vacation. Paul Chekuhero, 34, a self-employed family guy left a nine-month old child and a four-year-old kid at home and rode to Addis Ababa. He remembers how hard it was convincing his beloved wife. Of course, all four have families back home. The insurance broker, Mburu Ngugi, left four kids at home for the love of riding. The story is similar for Jacob Meninga, 32, a security systems businessman who became a legal rider last year, and the group chief and the eldest, John Kamande, 48, a property developer who has lately become a passionate rider was honest to tell The Reporter that he got his biking license at the age of 45. All four may not have been allowed to leave by their loved ones as riding is exhilarating but extremely dangerous. From the families’ point of view, it is absolute madness. However, the husbands crossed the border into Ethiopia and the journey took them just about four days. They said they were riding about 70 to 80 km/ph. Read more