Across Kiambu County, a growing number of women are steadily challenging long-held stereotypes by taking up jobs in Kenya’s male-dominated transport sector to support their families and build stable livelihoods.
From matatu conductors and tuk-tuk operators to stage clerks, many women are now carving space for themselves in an industry traditionally associated with men despite facing harassment, insecurity, and social stigma.
For many of them, the journey into the sector is driven by economic pressure, unemployment, and the need to provide for their children.
Margaret Wanjiku, a single mother and conductor with Kiwaliru Sacco, says survival pushed her into the matatu industry despite resistance from family members.
Every morning before dawn, Margaret prepares her child for school at her home in Kambaa, Githunguri, before reporting to work in Kikuyu town where she spends long hours serving passengers.
“My sister told me men would take advantage of me, but I followed my heart because I knew what I wanted,” she says.
Margaret says the work comes with constant challenges including insults from some passengers, stage levies, and unwanted advances from male customers. However, she says the income has enabled her to pay school fees and support her mother.
In Kiambu Town, tuk-tuk driver Diana Mbayache has also embraced the transport sector as a reliable source of daily income.
The young operator, who works with Picking and Dropping Mobile Taxis Sacco, says the more trips one makes, the higher the earnings, making it easier to meet personal responsibilities.
Still, Diana says insecurity remains one of the biggest challenges women face in the industry.
“As a lady, you fear working late because of kidnapping, theft, or harsh passengers,” she explains.
Despite the risks, she encourages women not to fear taking opportunities in the sector.
For Winnie Njeri Mwangi, a conductor with Kaka Travelers Sacco and a single mother of two, transport work has sustained her family for the last five years.
She says balancing motherhood and long working hours is difficult, often forcing her to depend on neighbours and friends for support with childcare.
At the Sacco level, some operators are introducing measures aimed at attracting more women into the industry. Kiwaliru Sacco manager Gabriel Kimani says the Sacco has waived joining fees for women to encourage more recruitment.
Meanwhile, workplace anti-harassment policies and flexible leave arrangements are also being introduced to improve working conditions.
As conversations around gender equality continue, women in Kiambu’s transport sector say their greatest motivation remains providing dignified lives for their families through honest work and determination.
