Malkit Rooprai was born in Thika, Kiambu County but left Kenya when he was 17 years old to further his studies in the UK.
His comeback to the East African country was, however, an extraordinary adventure that began in October 2022. Driving a Toyota Land Cruiser, Rooprai left West London in the UK on October 6.
He traversed over 30 countries to get to Kenya, a journey he had planned for the past three and half years. The trip was born out of his love for adventure.
While his plan was to visit Eqypt, the tensions in Sudan changed his mind, and he decided to visit Kenya to catch up with some of his Kenyan-based friends.
The 63-year-old covered an average distance of 350 kilometers daily. Whenever sunset approached, he would take a rest break near roadside cafes or police checkpoints, where he parked his car and slept inside.
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His car was stocked with frozen food inside a refrigerator and had satellite equipment that helped his family track his journey. Upon arrival in each country, he would purchase a SIM card for communication with his family.
He navigated through each country with the help of iOvelander, a mobile application used to find information about places.
Some of the countries he drove through include Ghana, Angola, Gambia, Senegal, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Mauritania, Namibia, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Africa, Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. Rooprai used a ferry to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Morocco.
He spent four to six weeks in each country he visited except in Benin and Togo, where he said there was not much to see.
His aim in each country he visited was to explore diverse landscapes and experience different cultures.
Some of the places he enjoyed during his tour include following the source of River Nile in Jinja, Uganda, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and the table mountain of South Africa, among others.
Since his arrival in Kenya in May, he has toured Malaba, Kitale, Eldoret, Kisumu, Kibos, and Kericho. Â He said the whole journey cost him 40,000 pounds (Sh6.8 million), with fuel accounting for the highest amount. Rooprai plans to Ferry his vehicle to the UK by the end of June.
