Kenyans Praise Woman Who Expertly Drove Manual Rongai Matatu

• Matwana Matatu Culture captured the moment a female driver got behind the wheel of a matatu
• The woman expertly changed gears while driving through a congested CBD in Nairobi
• Many Kenyans praised her driving skills, while others noted that she was a veteran matatu driver

A female driver has captured the attention of Kenyans online with her impeccable driving skills.

How did woman drive manual matatu?

A video shared by Matwana Matatu Culture depicted the woman at the wheel of Boombox, a matatu operating along the Nairobi Ongata Rongai route.

The woman was seen effortlessly engaging the gears in the CBD before driving off. She expertly turned the wheel to manoeuvre the vehicle as the passengers cheered her on.

"Twende twende," she said in the video, seemingly urging the vehicle in front to keep moving.

The seasoned driver checked the side mirrors while snaking through the tightly packed cars in the CBD.

The clip was reposted in a Facebook group for truck drivers, who were impressed by her skills. Here are some of the reactions:

Georgey Spongy KE:

“OMG. Show love for this woman.”

Eddy Almasi:

“These are the sort of things that make me happy.”

Dalton KE:

“I know this lady- she used to drive the Kayole matatus. She is brave, and all the traffic officers along Jogoo Road know her.”

Might Cannon:

“Very nice, l like that vibe.”

Al-Ustadh Mswahili Beberu:

“She got my attention, I must confess.”

Macharia Edwin:

“She is a veteran in the game. She used to drive Kayole’s Telebang matatu.”

Elizabeth Njuguna

“What a man can do, a woman can do better.”

Jane Muthoni:

“I wish I had this level of courage.”

Dan Muraya:

She is showing us skills while others display their thighs. I applaud her."

Meet Lydiah, the manual truck driver

In other news, a Kenyan woman named Lydiah learned to drive with a manual pickup and later upgraded to a lorry carrying 8 tonnes.

With two years of experience, the driver shared what driving a commercial lorry on Kenyan roads was like.

Many Kenyans found her story inspirational, saying it was a testament to women's strength.