This archive report was first published on 27 October 2019.
Published on October 27, 2019, a group of women Subaru owners in Kenya decided to form a motoring club to debunk stereotypes and promote road safety, mentorship, and charity.
Linda Nyamwaya, the chairperson of the Subie Queens, was inspired to form the group after noticing that women were being harassed by men in a mixed WhatsApp group for Subaru owners.
She recalls, "There is this WhatsApp group of Subaru owners, male and female, to which women would be added. Then women started leaving the group one by one. This bothered me because I had been in the group for a year and I couldn’t have any sisters in it."
The group has grown from 11 members in 2016 to 89 today, with a website, Facebook, and Instagram pages to reach more women.
The Subie Queens have three main objectives: mentorship, charity, and road safety. They have helped many charities, including donating a fridge to the adult oncology ward at Kenyatta National Referral Hospital in 2016 and mentoring students at Muthetheni Girls High School in Machakos County in 2017.
They have also been working to disabuse the Kenyan public of the perception that Subaru drivers are rowdy, noisy, and reckless.
Edna Nyameto, the organising secretary, says, "We are always campaigning for road safety. We have car clinics that have helped us to know more about our vehicles so that we are able to take care of most situations that wouldn’t require a professional to handle."
The group has branches in Kisumu, Mombasa, Eldoret, Nakuru, Embu, and Kisii, and they are seeking more members.
