We learn that the road to the border is closed at 4pm, which means we have to get to the border, and back to Lokichoggio before 4pm. We have not had breakfast yet. We make a decision to grab a quick one before proceeding. We also learn that from here onward we will have to get police escort because of the security issue.

We proceed ahead a bit, and spot an armed security officer with a gun. We stop him to ask how we should proceed. Before we can even have a proper conversation with him, a large noisy mob smothers us. Everyone is trying to give us advice. We can no longer even speak to one another. We are becoming a big deal here, and I’m not liking it. I like shooting through places like this without attracting too much attention. It’s also becoming clear that going to the border point is a big deal. We don’t hear this, but later Timam tells us one of the men asked him if the camera on his helmet was for recording his death.

We also realise that getting to Nakodok is out of question. All this time we have been telling people that we need to get to Nakodok. They responded by telling us that we will need to be escorted by Kenyan security officers till Nadapal, and then from there on we shall be picked by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army men and escorted by them up to Nakodok. This baffles us. We can’t understand why the SPLA should escort us within Kenya to the Kenyan side of the border. It’s then that we realise that Nakodok is the border point only on maps. On the ground, South Sudan is in charge of the area inside Kenya up to Nadapal. We therefore need papers to go beyond Nadapal.

The officer tells us that we have to report to the police station before proceeding with our trip. A part of me is wondering, “Why bother?” The other part of me is thinking I have come too far to quit, we must go on. We get a bodaboda for the officer and he leads us to the police station. I’m just glad to be away from the noisy crowd.

This is how we find ourselves in OCS Hudson Muloho’s office, explaining ourselves. We tell him that we are just visiting, just knowing our country. He is impressed by that. He is kind of a pragmatic. He assures us that there have not been any insecurity incidents of late, and with the same breath asks us to give him our identification, just in case we die and never come back. He tells us that we will be just fine, and with the same breath tries to convince us that Lokichoggio town is as good enough as the border point, and therefore there’s no need to go further. He tells us why the border point is not at Nakodok. He seems even a bit ashamed of it. He says that Kenya intends to rectify that in the near future and reclaim its land, and have the border point at the correct place: Nakodok. He tells us that we that we should, under no circumstance, try to reach Nakodok.

“The Toposa will get you there.”

The who-what now? The Toposa are the Turkana of South Sudan. Both tribes speak a similar language, and it’s only locals who can tell the difference. The Toposa and Turkana constantly raid cattle from each other, and it’s very easy for a passerby get caught in the middle.

We write down our names and ID numbers in the OCS’s book. He asks for our IDs to confirm that what we have written down is accurate. It’s occurring to me that there’s a chance this may be the last time we will be seen alive.

Is this how stupid people die?

OCS Hudson speaks to the police officer we came with, telling him that he can’t escort us alone. “You can’t walk alone with my gun!” He must be accompanied by another armed officer. I look at Timam. He looks confident and ready to go. His daughter Sheila crosses my mind… I look at Tintin and find her also looking at me. We smile at each other, but there is a weariness on her face. We convinced her to come along. Her son, Safo, crosses my mind… I get out my phone and text my sister. She has been checking in on me since this trip began. I feel a need to update her on where we are, and tell her that we are making a dash for the border point and back, and that we have to be accompanied by police officers. “Stay safe,” she messages back.

All arrangements made, we hit the road to Nadapal. Our bodaboda rider goes ahead with one officer, Tintin is second, I’m third, and Timam is behind with the second officer. Timam has to leave his bag at the police station to carry the officer. I would have, but my rear suspension is on its deathbed due to an oil leak, and my bike absolutely sucks offroad with a pillion.

A little distance away and there’s a checkpoint. We have to put our bikes aside and give our names, ID numbers and number plates. They are really keen to know who passes by here. A couple of Proboxes come in from the South Sudan side. I’m happy to see that it’s not a deserted road. We finish up, get on our bikes, and begin the 28km offroad ride to the border point. We meet a couple of other Proboxes on the way. The only people we meet on foot are herders, and they all carry guns, including a boy child who seems barely 10. We see no houses or settlements. It takes about 40 minutes of tense riding to get to the border point.

The border point is kind of a built up settlement, with only a chain marking the exit point. I wonder if there really are plans to move the post to Nakodok. They seem pretty much settled here. We meet a few people and police officers there. They have already been informed of our coming. We are happy that the goal of our trip is finally achieved!

We rest here for a bit and take a few photos. Tintin is completely worn out. She asks one of the officers we came with to ride her bike back. She takes his place on Timam’s bike for the trip back to Lokichoggio.

My camera failed on the trip to the border, but here are photos of the trip back:

We arrive at Lokichoggio feeling accomplished, relieved, elated! Suddenly we don’t know what next. We still have about two hours to dark, and we don’t know whether to go on or settle here till the next day. Our mission this whole trip has been to reach the border point, and now that it is done, we suddenly find ourselves aimless. We eventually opt to ride back to Kakuma and spend the night there. Tintin asks for a few minutes to lie down and rest before we can go on. I too want to sit down and take a breather. Timam is as if on potent steroids, he looks ready to even run a 42km marathon right now.