The Man-ual car.

A few months ago, I had a short-lived career as a car dealer. I spent my days talking about mileage, horsepower, automatic vs. manual cars, fuel efficiency, the whole sales pitch, trying to convince people to buy from me.

Every day, as I moved from showroom to showroom, one “car” always caught my attention. A vehicle with no engine, no headlights, no fuel consumption, yet it moved like a beast through the sunny streets.

“This has to be the real manual car,” I thought every time one zoomed past me. Well, we all know manual cars aren’t the easiest to drive.

I can’t speak for other countries, but in Kenya, you’ll see a mkokoteni every single day. If you ask me, that’s the real manual car. It ferries people, goods, animals,you name it. I doubt there’s anything a mkoko can’t transport.

If you’ve never been to Kenya and don’t know what a mkokoteni is, let me explain. A mkokoteni is a two-wheeled, human-powered cargo vehicle made from wood, steel, and tires. It’s found in every corner of the country. It’s not a wheelbarrow, not a tuk-tuk, and definitely not a car—yet it outperforms all three in certain conditions. You might call it a cart, but to me, it’s more than that. A mkokoteni is a workhorse, a survival tool, and a masterpiece of mechanical simplicity.

From an observer’s point of view, driving a mkokoteni requires a special kind of technique,a skill set powered by legs, sweat, and determination. If the load is heavy, you might need co-drivers to help push. It relies on full-body effort to get moving. I watch mkoko drivers stopping it downhill, their legs acting as brake pedals, and I’m in awe every time. The sheer force it takes to control all that weight? Insane.

Every time I spot a mkokoteni swerving through traffic, climbing pavements, or carrying an impossible load, I remember—it’s not just a cart. It’s a testament to human resilience, powered by absolute will, ugali kubwa and raw muscle . In a world obsessed with machines , the mkokoteni reminds me that sometimes, the strongest engine isn’t built from steel, but from the human spirit.