Sedans Are City Cars: Africa Demands More

This one is a funny but very telling experience—it really shows that some cars built in Europe or Asia are simply not designed for African conditions, or more specifically, for Africa.

This is purely from my personal experience while traversing northern and western Kenya, from Lodwar and Lake Turkana, all the way west to Rusinga and Mfangano Islands.

What this journey made very clear is that sedans and low-ride cars are not built for this kind of terrain. These vehicles are perfect for city life. In Kenya, we even have a name for them: mall crawlers. They are comfortable, efficient, and ideal for Nairobi and other major towns.

However, once you leave the city—once you step outside Nairobi and the major urban centres—the challenges begin. Out there, you quickly realise that you need a proper 4x4 with good suspension.

One of the first issues we faced was on the way to Lodwar, where we suffered a tyre burst at Locheremoit. What made it ironic is that it was likely caused by a very small stone on the road. That alone tells you how unforgiving the terrain can be for low-profile tyres.

Replacing that tyre was another challenge altogether. Finding the exact size outside Nairobi was nearly impossible. The car was running on 245s and 240s at the back, but the closest replacement we could find was a 255. We had no choice but to make do.

This experience highlighted a bigger issue: once you are outside major cities, getting spare parts, is extremely difficult. Land Cruisers and other 4x4s are common in these regions, so tyre repairs and compatible spares are readily available for them.

A similar issue came up again in Kitale. We couldn’t find the exact tyre measurements we needed. Although the rim size (R18) was the same, we had to settle for a slightly different width—again compromising because of limited options.

This challenge isn’t limited to cars alone. It extends to many other products as well. Outside Nairobi, availability becomes a real constraint.

Tyre burst being repaired at Lodwar

Another major limitation showed up while traversing Lodwar. We couldn’t go through Eliye Springs, one of the most iconic routes to Lake Turkana, because our car had low-profile tyres. The sandy terrain along that road would have been impossible to navigate safely. We had to take an alternative route via Kalokol, which still allowed us to see Lake Turkana—but we missed out on Eliye Springs entirely. With a proper 4x4 and good suspension, this wouldn’t have been an issue.

The final challenge was in Rusinga Island. Although some roads there were newly constructed—barely six months old—access to certain hotels was still a problem. One hotel we wanted to stay at was inaccessible because the road leading to it was not conducive for our car. We had to opt for another hotel closer to a better road, which turned out to be more expensive, simply to ensure we could move in and out without issues.

All these experiences point to one conclusion: sedans are great for the city, but much of Africa—especially beyond major towns—demands vehicles built for tougher conditions. In many cases, sedans simply aren’t built for Africa.