Why a Kenyan Trucker Is Refusing to Quit the Road Despite Winning Ksh102 Million

A Kenyan truck driver who recently won a Ksh102 million SportPesa jackpot says he has no immediate plans to retire from the steering wheel, despite the life-changing windfall and the growing hazards of his profession.

Peter Maina Mwaniki, who has spent nearly two decades behind the wheel, believes trucking is a career he understands well and feels comfortable continuing. His decision comes at a time when long-distance transport workers are facing severe safety threats, both within Kenya and across regional borders.

Mwaniki’s routine highlights the demanding nature of the job. His shifts start at 6am and often extend beyond 6pm, running anywhere from five to seven days a week depending on road conditions and unforeseen obstacles.

Navigating remote areas presents constant difficulties. On routes like the Wajir-Modogashe road, poor mobile network coverage frequently cuts drivers off from communication, leaving them to process backlogs of work messages only after reaching main towns.

Severe weather and infrastructure gaps add to the strain. Rainy seasons regularly turn sections of key roads impassable, while heavy traffic causes long delays. In isolated areas, drivers are forced to keep moving until they reach a safe urban centre, as parking heavy commercial vehicles in the bush overnight poses extreme risks.

Security remains another major danger on the road. Mwaniki recalled instances where drivers unknowingly drove into violent local protests and had their vehicles pelted with stones. Because trucks are too large to execute quick U-turns, drivers often find themselves trapped in hostile situations.

In parts of northern Kenya, drivers also face stone-throwing incidents involving children. Reporting these attacks to law enforcement often proves frustrating, as distant police stations sometimes direct drivers to return to the scene of the incident to file reports.

Mwaniki entered the transport sector after failing to raise funds for university education. He joined his uncle’s trucking business and gradually built his career, moving transit cargo before transitioning to his current work delivering equipment for Kenya Power.

His experience mirrors broader security concerns currently facing the regional logistics industry. The Long-Distance Drivers and Conductors Association of Kenya (LoDCA) recently urged drivers and transport companies to suspend non-essential trips into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following violent attacks and the killing of Kenyan drivers along transit corridors.

LoDCA has demanded stronger security assurances from authorities before normal freight operations to the DRC can resume.