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Motorcycle Ambulance Female Rider in Kajiado: Nurse Nelly Kemboi, a Champion for Maternal Health

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On my motorcycle journey in 2023 , I had the pleasure of meeting Nurse Nelly Kemboi ofs Samuli Dispensary in Samuli Village, Kajiado East – Kajiado County. Her story! nothing short of extraordinary.

Nelly, 32 years old then, was the only healthcare worker at the dispensary, singlehandedly providing medical services to the entire community. She is a nurse, a clinician, a midwife, a lab technician, a pharmacist, and even the cleaner. On top of all this, she is also a motorcycle ambulance rider, navigating rough terrain to save expectant mothers in need of urgent care.

Riding to Save Lives: The Motorcycle Ambulance That Changes Everything

What struck me the most was Nelly’s dedication to maternal health. She operates a TVS motorcycle ambulance with an attached Eezer ambulance wagon, she ferries pregnant women,expectant mothers from the remote village to the dispensary in time for safe deliveries.

Eezer, a life-changing initiative, designs motorcycle ambulances to combat maternal mortality in rural Africa. So far, Eezer has deployed 25 ambulance wagons in Kenya and other African countries, with a vision of reaching 3,000 by 2030. These ambulances have already saved countless lives, reducing maternal deaths to zero in some areas like Turkana South.

A Vision for the Future

Despite her relentless efforts, Nelly faces major challenges , there is a shortage of medical supplies, nurses, and lab technicians at the dispensary. Yet, she remains hopeful and dreams of advancing her skills in paediatric nursing, midwifery, and reproductive health to provide even better care for mothers and children.

Celebrating a True Heroine This International Women’s Day

As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2025 under the theme “Accelerate Action,” Nelly’s story is a powerful reminder of what real action looks like. She is not just delivering healthcare she is delivering hope.

How You Can Support Nurse Nelly and Eezer’s Mission

Visit Eezer’s website to learn how their motorcycle ambulance program is saving lives and how you can support.

Help ensure Nelly has the medical resources she needs. If you can contribute towards medical equipment, training, or additional staff, let’s make it happen!

Share Nelly’s story to raise awareness about the incredible impact of motorcycle ambulances in rural Kenya.

Through my rides, I encounter heroes like Nelly, whose dedication changes lives. Would you ride along on this journey for change? Let’s ensure more mothers and children in Kajiado get the care they deserve!

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Chak a Chaka ~ Luo for ‘Just Start’

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One cold night at 1 AM, I was thrown out of the place I had called home , not rented,bought . As if the pain of losing everything wasn’t enough, the final words hurled at me were: “You are the devil incarnate.” But I can guarantee you,I am not.

I walked away with no money, no home, just my riding gear, fuel in my Zontes 250V, and a storm raging inside me. Depression had been my unwanted companion for three years. I had been receiving counselling from Amani Counselling Centre and psychiatric support from Dr. Okonji at Nairobi Hospital. They say, “Don’t ride when on certain meds,” but my bike and God were my lifelines. If I lost either, I would die. Not being melodramatic , just raw, unfiltered truth.

So, I rode. All night. No destination, no plan, just me, the road, and my thoughts. When morning came, I pulled over on Peponi Road, trying to think. But my mind was blank. I fired up the engine and rode towards Lower Kabete.

At Spring Valley, the familiar sight of traffic policemen signalled a stop. One of them grabbed my keys, “Madam, weka pikipiki kando.” I froze. Then, without warning, I let out a scream inside my helmet, breaking down uncontrollably. If you have never ridden with a broken heart, are you even a rider?

The officer, sensing something was terribly wrong, held onto my bike and refused to give me back the keys. He asked me to sit by the roadside to breathe. And then he did something unexpected – he listened. I don’t know if he fully understood my pain, but when I finished speaking, he looked at me and said, “Simama. Start.”

That moment, those words , they lit a tiny spark in me. I walked into a random agent’s office, desperate and exhausted. A man named Enoch listened, really listened. And instead of turning me away, he gave me a house and time to raise the deposit and rent.The lady owner gave me a bed from her house,asked some men to help me fix it in one of the rooms, and gave me beddings and a bedsheet to hang over the window. Yes, I got back to renting..siggghh!

That was my second chance.

And here I am, in 2025 , healthy, happy, and living a life I never thought I would reclaim. It took being forged in fire to decide to change my life.

So, if you see me riding, let me be. I have fought demons. I vowed never to fight again. If you see me embracing people, fighting for unheard voices, it’s because I hit rock bottom and when I did, I found out it had a basement and I know what it means to struggle physically, mentally, emotionally, financially. I also know what it means to sew back your heart thread by thread and realize that some bits are not meant to heal perfectly.

I’ll tell this story slowly, in bits. Maybe it will encourage someone. But for now, this Tuesday morning, I ask you ,come up for air, breathe – just start. Chak a Chaka.

             ~ Kagwiria Murungi ✍️ ~

www.kagwiriamurungirides.africa