Gladys Kerubo: Lady tuk-tuk rider on mission for expectant mothers

Gladys Kerubo a female tuk-tuk driver in the Jomvu area in Mombasa county. [Robert Menza, Standard]

Giving birth to the first child is usually a scary experience for most mothers. However, for mothers like Davin Wekesa living in an informal settlement is a matter of life and death due to an unreliable transport system and health facilities.

Last week, on an eventful night, Wekesa says she went into labour while alone at her house in Mombasa’s Jomvu area. Her husband had travelled upcountry and in their calculation, Wekesa delivery was due in a week.

Deep into the night, she started to feel a contraction but assumed that it was normal for a pregnant woman due in a week. But it became longer, stronger, and more frequent as the labour progressed.

“I was alone and scared as my husband had gone upcountry. I was stranded but thank God I had the number of Gladys Kerubo whom I called to take me to Port Reitz Hospital for delivery,” she says. The 35-year-old Kerubo, a tuk-tuk female driver, is a well-known person within sprawling Jomvu slums.

For pregnant women, she makes sure they are delivered safely in a hospital. To many mothers, she is a saint.

According to Wekesa, the female tuk-tuk operator offers transport services for women in labour to Port Reitz Hospital for free as a form of corporate social responsibility to a community that is her clients.

Before she obtained a loan of Sh536,000 from 'Watu Credit' to buy the tuk-tuk, Kerubo was a long-distance driver, hauling containers from the port of Mombasa to Kampala, Uganda.

“I left the job in 2018 after the death of my boss. I took a break and in 2020, I was employed as a tuk-tuk driver until June this year when I bought mine,” she said.

Gladys drives pregnant women from the villages to the nearest hospital or health center free of charge. This saves women the arduous journey on foot and allows them to give birth safely in a healthcare facility. [Robert Menza, Standard]

However, Kerubo’s mission in the community goes beyond routine rides and making money. She has become a beacon of hope for pregnant women in the Jomvu area and its environs.

‘’Almost everyone in this neighbourhood has my mobile number and can call me when in need. I cannot imagine giving birth without the support of a skilled health professional,” she narrates.

Since she bought her tuk-tuk, Kerubo has safely transported about 12 women with obstetric emergencies to the hospital, saving their lives and those of their newborns.

Having worked in the community for more than eight years, Kerubo has mastered navigating on and off-road terrain — locating mothers even in the most inaccessible areas.

She has the support of ‘wazee wa mtaa’ and young men to provide security whenever she needs their service. ‘‘We live in a slum, and the nearest government hospital is Port Reitz Hospital and Miritini Health Centre, which is about an hour’s drive. So women in labour need assistance to get there,” she says.

Kerubo benefits from the symbiotic relationship she has cultivated with her community. The community provides reliable business for her tuk-tuk business.

“The proceeds I get have helped me educate my children. My first born daughter is in Form Two at Mazeras Girls and my other children are in private schools. The business also helps me to take care of my aging parents back in the village,” she said.

Apart from saving pregnant mothers, Kerubo has also been advocating for women’s empowerment.