More than a ride: Inside the water taxis of Lamu

Much of Lamu’s transport is on water, which means that 90 per cent of the time, one will be using boats to cross over from one island to the other.

In the quickly expanding water transport sector, a group of uniquely made boats has carved out a niche as the water taxis of Lamu.

They will pick you from the airport and rush you to your hotel, while others will rush you to the airport so you don’t miss your flight.

The water taxis of Lamu function in every way like the taxis we see in cities across Kenya, the only difference being they operate on water and not land.

So serious is the sector that the taxis have formed their own association and have their own representatives.

Lamu Water Taxis Association chairperson Ali Shee says the water transport sector is quite competitive. They had to get creative to make a reasonable profit from the overcrowded boat industry.

“Initially, there were no taxis, and making money was tough,” Shee said.

“Together with a few colleagues, we formed the Lamu water taxis association and I can report that we are doing well. We run the taxi business here and it’s working.”

Lamu Island and the entire archipelago has a boat population of about 6,000, of which just about 100 are in the taxi business.

Shee says the small number is due to the stringent rules expected in the making and maintenance of the boats.

“A water taxi needs to set itself apart from the rest of the vehicles in terms of appearance, management and operation. While the normal boat doesn’t need much, we have to put in quite an effort to be able to attract customers.”

A water taxi needs to set itself apart from the rest of the vehicles in terms of appearance, management and operation

THE AMENITIES

A water taxi is not your normal boat. Owners have to strive to have an edge over the other boats if they are to stay in business.

The water taxis of Lamu have a common colour exterior, which is brown.

Shee says the uniform colour helps set the taxis apart from the other boats and to also enable customers to easily tell the taxis from the rest of the boats.

“The exteriors must be brown because most of the other boats here are white, green or blue. To set our boats apart, we chose the colour, which to many looks dull but is unique and good for business,” Shee said.

However, many other water taxis are painted in colourful designs with equally colourful names meant to stand out from the rest.

While many boats in Lamu are given unique Swahili and religious names, water taxi owners have gone out of the norm to name their boats after renowned western musicians like Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Drake.

Some are painted with African wildlife, flowers and other attractive sceneries, with equally appealing and tantalising names like Cinderella, Vitamin Sea, Lamu Uber, Rock n roll, Valentine and Little Sparrow.

These taxis are also larger than the normal passenger boat in size and have a bigger carrying capacity than the normal boat, which can only take nine people at a go.

“The taxi has space for about 12. We gave consideration to the fact some of our clients could be groups, companies, schools or families,” he says.

Another unique feature of the water taxis is the engine. Diesel engines, which are slower than the usual petrol engines, are preferred.

Taxi coxswain Bakari Bunu says since most of their clientele are tourists and visitors, the slow engine allows them to take in the view of the various scenery in Lamu as they are transported to their destinations.

“We prefer the slow diesel engines because we want our clients to get maximum comfort and to be able to look around,” he says.

We prefer the slow diesel engines because we want our clients to get maximum comfort and to be able to look around

UNIQUE INTERIORS                  

While the normal boat has nothing much apart from the bench-like seats in the interior, the water taxi owners have made extra effort to add spice to their boats by installing cushion seats in their boats, which are both comfortable and luxurious.

The floors of these boats have also been given an extra touch and most are installed with carpets or straw linings to give them that special oomph.

Some taxi owners like Said Mohamed have gone a notch higher and installed WiFi in their boats to enable their clients catch up with any Internet commitments they may have while enroute to their destinations.

He also has music and TV aboard his taxi, enabling his customers to enjoy their favourite music or shows as they head to their destinations.

“The water taxi business here is one of the sectors that offer plenty of opportunities for different taxi niches,” Mohamed says.

“While it’s lucrative, without setting yourself apart, it’s difficult to break through the market and make a profit. The market is highly competitive and you need to have the right strategies to stay afloat.”

The cost of a taxi ride slightly differs from the normal boat ride, depending on the time, number of people, distance to be covered and any extra favours the customer may ask for.

Taxi driver Musin Abbas says a simple boat ride from Lamu Island to Shella beach town within the same island costs between Sh500 and Sh1,000.

“If you are rushing to, say, the airport, we charge slightly high because that’s requires more speed and effort to ensure the client reaches there on time. Also, the higher the number of people, the higher the cost, and so on,” he said.

To set himself apart, Abbas has introduced a free glass of champagne for every adult passenger he carries or an alternative of a bottle of water.

He has also installed a fridge on his boat to ensure customers get to enjoy chilled drinks to beat the hot and sunny Lamu weather as they move around.

WATER TAXI APP

The water taxis association is working towards developing an app that will make it easy for them to attract clients and boost their services and thus earnings.

Just like Uber and other taxis have use technology to ease things for their clients, the water taxi owners of Lamu believe the app can be installed on phones so they can easily be reached by interested travellers.

It will also enable them to establish social networks with potential or current clients, keep them engaged and also be able to receive feedback, which will in turn enable them to identify areas that need improvement.

“We are almost launching the app, which is in its final stages,” Shee says.

“Soon, people will be able to install the app on their phones and we shall be at their call. In the meantime, we are doing phone calls and are always on standby.”

They also have long-term plans to establish a website for their water taxi business to expand their market reach.

Since most clients are tourists from across the globe and Kenyans from other parts of the country, water taxi owners in Lamu realise just how huge their client base is growing and are making plans to equally match up to the demand.

“Ideally, the website will incorporate a 24-hour online booking, which will enable busy customers to schedule journeys in advance, should they wish,” Shee says.

“We believe that accommodating customer needs will help us increase our client base since people want a reliable and straightforward service that’s easy to arrange.”

Shee says they intend to keep making improvements to the sector in the coming years to match the rest of the taxi world out there.

Lamu Tourism Association chairperson Ghalib Alwy says the future is bright for the water taxi industry in Lamu if the government and stakeholders support it.

“All we are saying is that the government should invest in the sector and offer the necessary technological and financial assistance needed to propel it to the level of the modern Ubers,” he said.

“For a place like Lamu, the demand is definitely high, considering boats are the only means of transport.”