The day a parking boy in Nakuru crossed the line

Owning a car is supposed to bring freedom, flexibility, and a bit of pride. You save up, buy the vehicle with your own hard earned money, fuel it yourself, and even pay the official county parking fees.

In a perfect world, that should be enough.

But step into the streets of Nakuru’s city centre and you will quickly realize that the real challenge isn't the traffic or even finding a spot, it’s dealing with the parking boys.rd.

My most recent experience was more than just frustrating, it was disturbing.

My friend and I had parked at Club road.

The moment we navigated the car to the parking, this parking boy approached giving hand signals even though the space was big and we didn't need his assistance.

We then proceeded to ho about our errands which last about two hours. When we came back to the car and started it, the parking boy appeared.

He came to my friend who was driving and harshly asked, "Kwani mnaniwacha aje?"

My friend kindly told him we did not have anything to give him today, and proceeded to slowly drive off.

Irritated by the response, he actually hit our car window with his fist flashing that finger that means unpleasant things. We did not engage him further but drove off scared he might turn violent.

His initial assistance had just turned to harassment.

As far as parking in Nakuru is concerned, it seems tipping has slid from being a kind gesture to a forced experience.

These young men have unofficially claimed territories across the town. Streets like Kenyatta Avenue, Club Road, Mburu Gichua Road, Moi Road, Kenyatta Lane, and many others are hotspots.

 They approach your vehicle the moment you slow down, waving their hands, offering directions even when you don’t need help and expecting payment the minute you stop.

Let me be clear, I’m not against help. There are moments when their guidance is genuinely useful, especially in tight or busy spaces. But more often than not, they are simply inserting themselves into a situation and expecting a reward for it.

Question; if you are stopping at several places in town, are you expected to tip every single one of them, every single time?

That becomes exhausting, frustrating and unfair.

And please, don’t get it wrong, most drivers are not stingy. That is not the issue. Imagine a scenario where you simply don’t have coins on you. The next thing they will say is, “You can send on M-Pesa.”

But come on, I can’t go around leaving my personal contact details in M-Pesa transactions all over town just to tip someone for parking I already paid for. That is not safe or sustainable.

The suggestion that I should walk to the nearest M-Pesa agent to withdraw cash just to give a tip? That is not just inconvenient, it is absu

Something has to change.

The county government needs to step in. There must be a structured, regulated way to manage city parking boys, one that protects motorists and restores order to our streets.

Sad times for motorists indeed.