WEEK 1: Around Africa on motorcycle – Nairobi to Ethiopia

It’s been one week since a team of five Kenyan motorcyclists began their journey around Africa on motorbikes. The events of the first week, in a ride dubbed Around Africa on Motorcycle, have been spectacular and occasionally hair-raising.

The historic trip around the coastline of Africa (covering a distance of 40,000 kms in 6 months) began in Nairobi on Thursday, December 12, 2024, and will run until May 2025. The official flag-off took place at the Nairobi Chapel grounds in Ngong, amid pomp and fanfare.

Almost everyone with a proper motorcycle in Nairobi showed up with their machines for this little ‘raving convention’ — ostensibly to support the traveling team.

The procession, comprising a team of local escorts, made a beeline for Moyale, exiting the capital through the Thika Super Highway, ushering themselves into the open lands of Moyale under the punishing heat, only once or twice resting their bikes by the roadside to allow some of the ‘little’ motorcycles in the escort team to catch their breath.

The four main bikes are cut out for this kind of thing, you can tell. That’s why up to this moment, you will hear little things like a wrecked exhaust or that a bike had ‘choked on fuel.’

The four main riders—Leonard, Kairu, Nick, and Havana—arrived in Moyale and were welcomed by a team of riders from the beautiful town, who would later see them off at the crossing point.

The escorts, too, share in the common dream of supporting the education of needy children. So, the first week saw the riders exit Kenya at the Moyale border and enter Ethiopia, where they were received at the Kenyan High Commission and later hosted at the Ambassador’s residence.

“I am joining the Around Africa ride because I know the power education holds to transform lives,” says Havana, a humanitarian aid worker driven by a passion for education.

“The journey is more than miles; it’s a legacy for the next generation,” adds Havana, who took notice of the scorching heat in Moyale.

“I don’t know why I got into this, but the heat in Moyale, just before crossing into Ethiopia, got my attention,” she says with a smile.

Sammy, an advocate by training, a man whose heart belongs to farming and giving back, says the ride is more than an adventure; it’s about giving Kenya’s children a chance at a brighter future.

As for Leonard, a man who bought his first bike even without knowing how to ride, this is a trip that matters most.

“As a civil engineer, I’m used to building things; this time, it’s a future for the children of Kenya through the LOGOS Endowment Fund,” says Leonard, who goes by ‘Leo.’

Then there is Nick—who, alongside being the Lead Pastor at Nairobi Chapel, Ngong Road, has always had a love for adventure—good adventure.

“This ride across Africa is more than just an expedition; it’s a mission close to my heart,” he says.

“Together with my fellow riders, we’re taking on this challenge for the children of Kenya, riding for education,” says Nick.

“This beautiful trip aims to raise funds for the establishment of the LOGOS Educational Endowment Fund to support 500 students who are currently on scholarship with the LOGOS Scholarship Fund in different high schools in Kenya,” said Pastor Nick Korir of Nairobi Chapel, which established the Fund in 2008.

The ride across Ethiopia was not without challenges, with the riders having to contend with a few mechanical issues with one of the bikes, a punctured tire or something, thirsty bikes, and one rider sustaining a minor injury. Then there is the heat—and more heat.

The team got to see very interesting sites in Ethiopia: the wide range of foods like injera, a visit to the Danakil Depression (the hottest part of the earth), a swim at Lake Afdera, and a visit to the very active Erta Ale volcanic mountain.

“The official Around Africa Fundraising MPESA Paybill is 8060305. The Account is your name. This will run for the next six months, as we journey for education around Africa on motorcycle,” said Nick.

Watch the full video on Citizen Digital and remember to look out for the Week 2 video.