Kenyan businessman Simon Kabu has revealed the reason behind shedding tears after bumping into an old photograph from his early days working as a taxi driver.
Kabu, the Chief Executive Officer of tour operator Bonfire Adventures, shared the throwback picture showing him seated in a scuffed white saloon car with a registration prefix starting with KAT.
He explained that the image brought back vivid memories of his financial struggles before establishing his business empire.
"Guys, I came across this photo in my album and for sure nimetoa machozi...." he said.
Hotel Dismissal and the Flour Incident
His path to purchasing his first vehicle began after an unexpected dismissal from a hotel job. Kabu was working at the hotel when he spotted his former high school crush entering the premises.
Attempting to avoid being seen in his working attire, he accidentally stepped onto a large quantity of wheat flour while wearing dirty gumboots.
"I had saved for almost 3 Years after nilifutwa Job Kwa hoteli after Kukanyaga 12.1Kgs of Unga Ya Ngano with Dirty Gumboots trying to escape my Highschool Crushie asione the Kind of Job I was doing..." Kabu revealed.
Following the loss of his hotel job, Kabu spent nearly three years saving money from manual work, including working as a matatu conductor and milk distributor. He eventually accumulated enough funds to buy a second-hand white vehicle to operate private taxi services.
"So, after saving I decided to Buy my first car... KAT at least Nifanye "UBER" at that time..." he recounted.
Driving in Kawangware
Operating his taxi, Kabu established a steady client base across several neighbourhoods in Nairobi, particularly within Kawangware.
"During this time I used to Carry clients wa Kawangware sana sana..." he stated.
His regular routes included local commercial hubs such as Soko Kubwa, Soko Mjinga, Stage 46, Stage 56, and Congo. He ferried passengers across the city, moving from the Central Business District to areas like Ngong and Kibera.
The Incident in Runda
One particular trip stood out during his time as a driver. Kabu picked up three passengers who appeared to be women requesting transport to Runda.
The requested destination was near the current location where Adequate Safaris headquarters stands today. As the vehicle reached a secluded, bushy section of the road, the passengers demanded that he stop and park.
"To be honest I was shocked when they removed their Wigs, KUMBE they were MEN na Wakatoa TWO BRAND NEW RUNGUS..." Kabu recounted.
The disguised men pulled out two brand new wooden clubs (rungus) during the confrontation. Although the attackers did not steal his car, Kabu suffered physical injuries during the ordeal.
"Although they did not take my car away niliumia..." he wrote.
Journey to Success
Kabu later built Bonfire Adventures from an initial seed capital of KSh 10,000 into a prominent tours and travel agency across East Africa. The throwback photograph captures him wearing a camouflage cap, red long-sleeved top, dark trousers, and dusty work boots, recording his transition from early road struggles to enterprise leadership.
