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As the late afternoon sun settles over Freetown’s main transit park, Hawa Mansaray pulls up her motorized three-wheeled vehicle for a break and to pray, then returns to work in a sector long dominated by men. Mansaray is one of an increasing number of women driving kekeh—auto-rickshaws that residents use to move around a city where public transport has struggled to keep pace.
The rickshaws have grown in popularity as Freetown’s population has expanded to more than 1.5 million, according to city estimates, roughly triple the size when much of the infrastructure was planned and built. With transport systems unable to match that growth, commuters have turned in larger numbers to commercial motorcycles and auto-rickshaws to fill daily gaps in service.
Women who take the wheel say the work can be financially meaningful and empowering even as it comes with challenges. “I have done different jobs since I came to Freetown but kekeh has done more for me,” said Mansaray, a 27-year-old single mother of one. She learned to drive rickshaws after separating from her husband and started paying to be trained after seeing women perform well in the business.
Mansaray now works under a company that requires her to make daily returns of 350 leones, or $14, and she said she earns an average daily wage of 175 leones, or $7. She described that income as enough to support her family and said it is considered high income for many in the country. “I will advise my fellow women who aren’t employed to come into the game,” she said.
Rising demand for kekeh also reflects how riders weigh practicality against safety concerns. The vehicles are described as often “rickety” and running at minimal speeds, and they are considered less safe because of how they are built. Still, commuters prefer them because they are easily accessible and offer ventilation and relative comfort, according to the report.
In the city, however, women entering transport work still face stigma, Plan International Sierra Leone women’s rights advocate Marfoh Mariama Samai said. Samai said women are often “seen as people not adequate to do certain types of jobs,” and she added that women drivers are stigmatized when they “venture into a certain type of job.” She linked that stigma to broader economic dependence, saying many women end up confined to petty trading and rely heavily on their husbands where financial services are limited.
Samai said patriarchal norms shape decision-making at home, pointing to the idea that when men provide money, they also decide how it is used. “When the man gives you the money, he makes all the decisions,” she said, adding, “More young women should be encouraged to get into the transport sector.” Another driver, Alimatu Kamara, described her own path into the work after years of unemployment and said she plans to expand by purchasing more rickshaws.
Kamara said a major challenge remains aggressive behavior from male riders, along with safety concerns at night. “Some women can panic,” she said. “It takes mind and determination to continue.” She also said the income potential is one reason not to wait for office jobs: “We can’t just sit, waiting for office jobs. With jobs like kekeh, you can even make more money.”
The Sierra Leone Kekeh Riders Union says it is trying to respond to that shift in who can drive. District chairman Mustapha Thoronka said the union has more than 1,000 registered members in western Freetown, but only about 20 are women, and he said that number has improved. He said he supports efforts to train and assist female drivers, including advocating for loans for them, and he told reporters, “Whatever men can do, women can do better,” adding that the work can help women support themselves and their families without relying on men.
Commuters said they can also notice differences in driving style. Mariama Barrie, a rider who said she prefers female drivers, described them as “more careful than the men.” She said the growing presence of women drivers sends a message to women who “sit and wait to be spoon fed,” and she urged other riders to consider taking kekeh with women at the wheel.