In the midst of a biting economy that has forced Kenyans to be ingenious and creative, Leaky Analo, a boda boda rider in Nairobi, has resorted to social media platform TikTok to make an extra living.
While many Kenyans prefer to share the glam of their lives on social media, Analo uses his handle to narrate the daily struggles of his hustle and the economic state of his household without sugarcoating it. As a result, he occasionally gets help from empathetic followers.
Analo lives with his wife, Yvonne Nanjala, and their daughter in a one-roomed house in Mathare, Nairobi County. In December 2024, Nanjala hatched the plan to use TikTok to share their life struggles, and that is how their channel, “Dolly Family” was established.
“We saw other people creating content and thought, why not share our real life, no hiding, just being open,” Analo told Citizen TV.
“As we scrolled through TikTok, we saw many people benefiting. So we decided to start too,” Yvonne adds.
Since then, Leaky Analo has crafted a routine incorporating his main hustle which is ferrying passengers using the boda boda and recording TikTok videos in between trips.
His day begins early, and therefore, delays his breakfast to later in the day. On some days, business is good, and he makes enough to cover his family’s needs. On other days, he falls short, but they have to persevere.
On TikTok, Analo tells it as it is. On a good day, he can manage to fuel the motorbike, pay the owner Ksh400 and take home Ksh400.
“One day, I worked the whole day, paid the bike owner Ksh400, fueled the motorbike, and I was left with just Ksh400. That’s the reality I show people,” Analo narrates.
“In life, you must endure. When he earns little, we manage with what we have, and as women, sometimes we have to make sacrifices,” Nanjala adds.
Leaky Ananlo explains the struggles of having to balance the little earnings between feeding and clothing his family, paying the house rent which stands at Ksh2,600 per month and providing for other essential needs in his household.
“The prices of everything have gone up, especially after fuel costs increased,” he says.
“Before, life was much better. We had enough shopping at home, and he could buy our child Cerelac and Weetabix. Now, the money barely covers food, let alone extras like diapers,” his wife adds.
He pays tribute to the relationship he has cultivated with his followers, thanking them for often coming through for him when his hustle days don’t go as planned.
“Some people send me money after watching my videos. One day, Mama Asha invited us to Parklands and gifted us with shopping. It really helps,” Analo shares.
Leaky Analo and Yvonne Nanjala intend to leverage their growing following on TikTok to transition fully into reputable content creators. They also called upon the government to curb inflation and ease the cost of living.
