The Ukimwi Road by Dervla Murphy

The Ukimwi Road: From Kenya to Zimbabwe by Dervla Murphy

In the early 1990s, as the AIDS epidemic ("ukimwi" in Swahili) cast a long shadow across sub-Saharan Africa, the singular Dervla Murphy embarked on a formidable 3,000-mile journey by bicycle. Her chronicle, The Ukimwi Road, takes you alongside her as she pedals from Kenya to Zimbabwe, traversing landscapes of breathtaking beauty while confronting the stark realities of a continent grappling with disease, drought, and profound hardship. With her trademark candor and deep empathy, Murphy shares encounters with the ordinary people she met in villages and towns across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia. She offers not just tales of adventure, but vital, ground-level insights into the resilience of the human spirit, the complexities of the region's social and political fabric, and the devastating human cost of the unfolding crisis, painting a vivid, unforgettable portrait of life along the 'Ukimwi Road'.

Why You’ll Love This Book

You'll be deeply moved by Dervla Murphy's courageous and compassionate firsthand account of traveling through regions facing immense adversity during a critical historical moment. It provides powerful, essential insights into the human impact of the AIDS epidemic in Africa, combined with Murphy’s keen observations of culture and landscape. Her blend of adventurous determination and unflinching honesty makes this a compelling and profoundly important travel memoir.