U20 AFCON Diary: Cheap taxis, unguarded ATMs and proper roads, the story of Cairo
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 07.05.25. | 12:46
It should not shock you to see one withdraw bundles of cash and walk without bothering about his/her safety as Cairo is well secured
In the interest of security, you will most likely look over your shoulder before carefully approaching an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) for withdrawals and other services.
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Given the reported cases of hawk-eyed and sometimes armed thieves carefully timing and robbing unsuspecting customers at the ATM, it is prudent to be careful inside the small room and after conducting business.
However, things are completely opposite in Cairo, the city hosting the Kenya U20 men's football team, Rising Stars, for the 2025 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON U20).
In yet another episode of the U20 AFCON Diary, Mozzart Sport disrupts the flow of Rising Stars news and delves into the streets of Cairo for interesting off-the-pitch tales.
ATM machines in the open, unguarded and crowding allowed
It is normal to find unguarded, yet functional ATM machines all over the streets of Cairo, even by the roadside.
There are also ATMs in grand hotels, shopping malls, banks and other establishments in public spaces.
It should not come as a shock to see a customer withdraw loads of cash and walk without bothering about his/her safety, as the city is well secured.
The distance between one user to the other is insignificant, thus reducing privacy, and sometimes, I have observed, more than two users milling around one machine.
Online taxis are cheap in Cairo
The distance between the hotel where I am residing and the Rising Stars camp is 47.8 kilometres, roughly from Nairobi CBD to Thika town, with 12.8 kilometres separating the residence and the 30 June Stadium.
On average, it costs me around 280 Egyptian pounds (approximately Ksh700) for a single trip to the Kenya U20 camp via a taxi hailing app.
It costs approximately 160 Egyptian pounds (Ksh400) for a trip from the hotel to the stadium.
Comparing the Kenyan rates to Egypt's, with respect to the distance, it is easy to note that online taxis are cheaper in Cairo.
This can be explained by the fuel prices here in Cairo, where a litre goes for Ksh43. The same commodity retails at Ksh174 in Nairobi and other cities.
Cancelling a trip costs 10 Egyptian pounds (Ksh25), which is billed in the next ride in the event that you are paying via cash.
Plastic bags in use here
While Kenya imposed a ban on single-use plastic bags in 2017 as a way of conserving the environment, the Egyptian population still uses them for storing and carrying items, among other uses.
However, it is difficult to find them littered in the streets of Cairo, an indication of the locals' firm discipline and their love for a clean city.
The presence of litter bins and cleaners on the roads perhaps goes a long way in making the city litter-free.
Good road network
The state of Nairobi roads, in recent times, has been a major source of concern to residents.
Complaints and calls have been made to the County Government and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) to fix the gaping potholes and work on the poor drainage, but there seems to be little progress.
While Nairobians continue to wait for action, the more than 20 million people living in Cairo enjoy a good and well-connected road network.
Well-maintained overpasses, underpasses, link-ups, dual carriageways and all sorts of roads serve the huge population here.
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