Not your ‘average girls’, meet the Inked Sisterhood – an all-female Kenyan bikers club redefining the riding culture

Think of speed. Think of superbikes. Think of riding long distances. What comes to your minds? Well, most probably, male bikers, right? If yes, then you are very wrong. Meet Inked Sisterhood, an all female Kenyan bikers club that has really made a name in the East African country and beyond.

Inked Sisterhood recently did a 270Km ride from Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, to a town south of the country, Liotoktok, with some locals in the town bordering Tanzania amazed with the women.

The Inked Sisterhood, which was started two years back by Patience Mehta – a farmer and administrator, was basically anchored on connecting and empowering women who love motorbikes. The club eventually grew to a training school in Nairobi, a place where most of the women in the club took their training as far as motorbike riding is concerned.  

Inked Sisterhood is just one among other all-female bikers clubs that have come up in Kenya within a few years back. They include Piki Dada, Throttle Queens, and Heels of Steel.

Ms Mehta, commonly called “Empress Peanut” thanks to her small stature, rides a Hero Karizma ZMR 223cc, and says “the ink is what we use to tell our riding story – it’s not because we all have tattoos”.

In the recent years, women in Kenya have been turning to riding motorbikes with many of them coming out even in motorcycles races, either as participants or spectators.

Bettina Bogonko, who is one of the Inked Sisterhood says; “for the longest time we have had clear roles for men and women and motorbikes, as they are perceived as rough and dangerous, and therefore more masculine”.

Another member of the club, a medical doctor who rides a Lifan 250cc cruiser says; “my turning point that fully got me on the road confidently was when my father gave me his blessing to ride and said he was proud of me”. She calls her bike ‘Dragon’.

The Inked Sisterhood usually meet every few months to do group rides. They also team up with other female rider groups in events such as the International Female Ride Day that is observed in the beginning of May every year.