The Man Behind the Smile

After 11 years behind the wheel at Angama, putting guests first whilst they're in Nairobi, and 30 before that, driving everything from a lorry to a matatu, John Thuku is retiring. I had the chance to sit down and ask him about his journey.

Thuku was open and reflective, looking back over the long road that brought him here, and the years since. When I asked the team about him, everyone, without being asked twice, mentioned his smile before anything else. So, I’ll start there too, and let him tell the rest himself.

'I grew up in Nyeri. My dad was also a driver, and I used to enjoy seeing him driving.' His elder brother was a tour driver too, and would come home with stories of the tourists he'd met — enough to convince him of where he wanted to end up.

He got his license in 1984, starting on a seven-tonne lorry hauling building sand from the river. Nairobi came next, and his first job there was at a bone-milling company, where he had to collect the bones left by vultures in the parks for livestock feed. 'I couldn't manage it. The smell was difficult for me. I worked there for about three months and left.'

A long run through the city's working life followed a night-shift driver, three years on matatus, then a taxi his sister gave him, working the loop around the Ambassador Hotel. 'It was like a talent, you know — something that was in my heart.' From there, he found his way into a small tour company, taking over from safari Guides once they dropped guests back in Nairobi, giving Thuku the opportunity to improve his skills with travelling guests.

Then, in 2014, news began spreading about a new lodge opening in the Maasai Mara. 'That was Angama. I was quick to apply. I joined two months before its official opening, on 14 June 2015.'

'When I came in, I could see that this was a big thing coming up. I talked with Nicky and Fitz — they really showed the staff love. I knew this was the place for me.'

I asked what he would miss; he said, 'the whole of Angama. They are like family. I learned a lot from Nicky, there's some kind of bond there that will be difficult to forget. The humans of Angama. They have taught me to listen, and to ask questions.'

40 behind the wheel, 11 of them at Angama, and what he leaves behind isn't a job title. It's the Ubuntu spirit, a dedicated heart for guest comfort and the joy he brought to everyone he worked with. When asking the team what comes to mind when they hear his name, the first answer is always the same: that smile.

Guests still ask for 'John Thuku' by name on their transfers, Nairobi Guide, Alex Musyimi, says — 'I don't know what we're going to tell them.' Nairobi Guide, Daniel Njiriri, puts it simply: 'He will always be a lifelong friend.' Lynn explains that she sees his retirement less as an ending and more as a blessing — the rare chance to walk away from a job in good health, on your own terms. As Shiro, Partnerships, Travel & Operations Manager, put it: 'This is not goodbye. Let's just see later.'

Thank you, Thuku, for the warmth and the smile you brought to every guest and colleague, and for turning so many people into family. Angama wouldn't be the same without you behind the wheel.

I will miss you, my dear friend. I will forever treasure all the happy times we spent together, sharing stories, laughter, and family updates as we travelled through Nairobi. I loved watching you relish every mouthful of food and will never forget your sneaky trick of hijacking plates as they were passed across you. Your love of life is infectious - please never lose that. Go well, dear Thuku