Deaths from boda boda ‘more than alarming’: Kericho traffic boss

KERICHO COUNTY: At least 17 people perished and tens of others maimed in boda boda accidents in Kericho Sub County in the last two months.

Speaking in Brooke trading centre during a the pass out ceremony of more than 150 boda boda operators trained on safety through the courtesy of Simba Chai Sacco, Kericho traffic base commander Maurice Okul said the number of fatalities and casualties could be higher since some of the accidents went unreported.

"Since some of the boda boda operators in the area do not have the required documents to operate the business some of the accidents go unreported and I only come to know about them when I go to Kericho District Hospital to see victims of other road accidents that I come to learn of them," he said.

Okul attributed most of the boda boda accidents to failure to observe traffic laws and outright negligence by boda boda operators.

Simba Chai Sacco Chief Executive Officer Wesley Ng’eno appealed to them to apply the safety training tips they had received for their own and those of their passengers safety sake.

The Sacco's chairman Joseph Mitei said they escalating number of boda boda accidents was the reason that they had decided as one of their Corporate Social Responsibility programs to conduct training for local boda boda operators.

Meanwhile, boda boda operators in Kericho County have a reason to celebrate after area governor Paul Chepkwony announced that they would no longer be required to pay any levy to the county government.

Speaking at Keongo village in Ainamoi constituency, during the launch of the collection of signatures to press for a referendum, Chepkwony who was accompanied by his Bomet County counterpart Isaac Ruto and Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter, said his administration had decided to reduce the cost of doing business and to encourage more youths to operate boda boda business by abolishing the levies.

"Boda boda business is a lucrative business and we want to encourage more youths to join the business by scrapping the daily fee they are required to pay to the county government in order to be allowed to operate in the area," he said.