During the weekends, dozens of women in Nairobi swap their week day clothes for biker jackets, leathers and helmets, to take to the road on their motorcycles.

This is one of Kenya's fastest-growing female biker communities and they call themselves the Inked Sisterhood.

The group was formed in 2017 out of a Nairobi riding school and together they are challenging long-held stereotypes that only men enjoy motorcycles.

The riders come from different professions: scientists, lawyers and civil servants.

Although the group began as a way to connect women who felt outnumbered on the road, it has now grown into a camaraderie built around solidarity and safety.

According to the women, stereotypes are their biggest hurdle.

"The common misconceptions about riders, female riders, in Kenya is that one is that we are rebellious. We're not, we're very harmonious, peace loving people. The other one is that we're tomboys. I don't think we are, if you can look behind me you can see they're all girls and behaving like girls, and we just enjoy riding the same way you enjoy golfing or all the other sports that exist. Yes, it's a nice hobby to have," says Monyenye.

Women are now embracing motorcycling as a symbol of independence as well as an escape from their corporate jobs.

The group is a source of social and emotional support.

For some, the hobby provides a means of personal empowerment.

"When I sit on a motorbike, I feel powerful. Of course everyone thinks riding is for men, and I am one of those women who are here to show you that everyone can do it, and the community has made me love biking more, because when I was joining, I didn't even know there was a community, I just happened to join and I saw other women doing the same, and I loved the community," says scientist Kisianan Kenana.

There is a shift in masculine preconceptions about women's motorcycle groups.

Micheal Othieno is a tax consultant as well as a motorbike enthusiast.

He says: "The difference between women and us is that the women seek out training more and more and more, a lot more, and have become better at it, so much so that when they remove their helmet and you actually see there's dreadlocks or there's braids under that helmet, you can really tell that they've taken it up and they're as good as men, some even better, so it is a trend that we're seeing, it's always been there, but yes, there are a lot more embracing it."

On this ride the women are gathering for a memorial for a member of their motorcycling community.

They stand in silence to remember a fellow rider who lost her life in a road accident in 2020.

This loss still unites the group in their determination to promote safety and caution on the roads.

As well as enjoying their hobby, the women in the group are helping the wider community through charity rides, tree planting events, memorial rides and mixed gender campaigns.

AP video shot by: Desmond Tiro