Transporting and Travelling With a Wheelchair in Kenya

By Wheelchairs Kenya · Updated June 2026 · Nairobi, Kenya

Plan transport before you buy the chair

The most common travel mistake is buying the chair first and discovering it does not fit the family car. If the user will travel often (clinic visits, church, shags at Christmas), transportability should rank near the top of your buying criteria. Measure your car boot (or think honestly about matatu travel) before choosing. Our team can tell you the folded dimensions of any chair before you order.

Folding and lifting a manual wheelchair

Most manual chairs fold by pulling up on the seat centre. Remove the footrests and any cushion first; they catch and bend. To lift into a boot, use two people holding frame (never the wheels or armrests, which can detach), or one person can tip the folded chair onto its rear wheels and roll it to the car. Folded manual chairs fit most saloon boots and under matatu seats; tell the conductor early and expect to pay for the space on busy routes.

Travelling with an electric wheelchair

Electric chairs weigh 40 kg and up and most do not fold. Realistic options: a van or pickup with a loading plank, removing the batteries (where the design allows) to reduce weight, or keeping a cheap manual folding chair as the “travel chair”, a common and practical two-chair strategy for families who can manage it. Always switch the controller off and engage the freewheel levers only during loading; re-engage drive before the user sits.

SGR, flights and long-distance buses

• SGR (Madaraka Express): stations have ramps and staff assistance; book assistance when buying tickets and arrive early. The chair travels with you.
• Flights: airlines carry wheelchairs free as mobility equipment. Notify the airline at booking; electric chair batteries have rules, so declare the battery type in advance. You use the chair to the gate and receive it at arrival.
• Buses: policies vary; folding chairs travel in the luggage bay. Pad the joystick/controller of any electric component and remove loose parts.

Travel-ready features to look for

• Folding frame, removable footrests, quick-release wheels (some models)
• Weight you and your family can actually lift. Try lifting it in the showroom
• Solid (puncture-proof) tyres for rough upcountry roads, or carry a pump and patch kit
• A chair the user can sit in for the whole journey comfortably, see pressure relief for long trips

We deliver countrywide, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru, Thika, Machakos, Meru and beyond, so the chair can also simply meet you there. Orders by 2pm deliver same day within Nairobi.