How female Boda boda riders are breaking barriers in Kisii

Boda boda rider Judith Lihavi during an interview at Malulu stage in Kakamega town on November 16, 2021. [File/ Standard] In 2013, Phane Nyachera Arisa visited Siaya, where she met a woman riding a boda boda. From then on, her life took a new turn. Today, she is a boda boda rider in Kisii, inspired by the Siaya lady. Before acquiring a motorbike through asset financing, she ferried clients using a bicycle, which required too much energy; hence she quit. At first, Phane employed a young man to run her boda boda business, but an encounter where he failed to bring back daily earnings would see her take to the road by herself. As the sole breadwinner and caretaker of her family, working late is not tenable, as she cannot forfeit her responsibility to look after her house and children. "I go home early to cook and clean for my children," she said, adding that at the moment business is unpredictable, making income unstable. Phane is, however, limited by her gender. She says, "I work between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. because I am a woman and cannot work later than 6.30 p.m., as I will put myself at risk." Like any other business, on some days, she makes good earnings from her boda boda business, and on other days, she counts her losses. In 2013, Phane got into an accident that put her on bed rest for a whole year. The following year, her husband abandoned her and her two children. The injury from the accident many years ago still limits her operations to a few hours. Despite the hardships, she is proud to have raised her two children singlehandedly, with her first child in college and her second in high school. At the time of conducting this interview, Phane's second child had been sent home for school fees. Every year, Phane endeavours to raise up to Sh100,000 to pay school fees for her two children, which she says is hard to come by. Working in a male-dominated space, she notes that her experience working with men has been bearable, as the men have been welcoming to her. The boda boda business undoubtedly has very few women in it. She says, "Women are afraid of this job because it is associated with men. Also, they fear it may be difficult. But it is not; they just need to be self-driven to earn a living." Phane joined the boda boda business in 2013, and through its proceeds, she has seen her children through school and has fed her household all these years. She notes that she also saves a portion of her income through welfare chamas for rainy days. According to Phane, the chama has also improved her living standards, as they ensure every member of the chama has a stable livelihood. Every week, all 30 members of the welfare group deposit Sh100 into the savings bank account as a buffer for rainy days and for paying school fees. When starting up her boda boda riding business, she says that she experienced a bit of pushback and stigma. "Many years have passed. Right now, they have changed the perception and view it just like a normal job." Francis Nyamboki - boda boda rider, stage manager and preacher - has said that he would support women to go into the business to support their families. Nyamboki has commended Phane's commitment and hard work. "Phane is self-driven, and we are proud of her. Other women are ashamed of this job." Mourine Kemunto is also a boda boda rider, who resorted to the boda boda business after facing a lot of challenges from her previous employment. Kemunto was initially employed for two years as a boda boda rider, before acquiring her own. Like Phane, she too has seen the benefits of fending for herself through the boda boda riding business. "This business pays my rent, feeds my family, pays my chama for savings, and also offsets my loans," she noted, adding that she acquired her motorcycle through asset financing. Reiterating the sentiments of Phane, Kemunto says that most women do not fancy the boda boda business, associating its nature with men. "Women are afraid of this job because of the many challenges we go through as women," she said, noting that many roads are impassable, making it difficult for her to carry out her business as a woman. She adds that the absence of public toilets makes their work difficult as women, because men can respond to the call of nature almost anywhere. She has lamented that some men board their motorbikes to try and get their numbers to woo them. "The men call late at night, disturbing us. That's a challenge for us - they don't care if we are married." Kemunto has urged other women to pursue different careers to fend for themselves. Patrick Nyarume has acknowledged that the boda boda business is not easy, making it difficult for more women to go into it. "I think women have not embraced this job because sometimes people insult them," Nyarume has said, adding that to break the biases, they are supporting the women doing the business and give them precedence at the stage when it comes to taking customers. Generally, he notes that fuel prices are high, making their operation difficult. He further implores the government to ensure that asset financiers reduce the cost of servicing loans. Phane and Kemunto are among the very few female boda boda riders in the country. Official data shows that women currently make up 39.4 per cent of the active customer base. Over the last five years, the Boda product has been disbursed to 70,000+ female clients in Kenya by Watu Credit. The Economic Survey 2025 by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics shows that the total number of newly registered motor and autocycles, and three-wheelers declined by 4.7 per cent from 76,451 in 2023 to 72,868 in 2024. There was a decline in the number of newly registered motor and autocycles from 70,691 in 2023 to 68,804 in 2024. Judith Jumo, the Nyanza Regional Manager of Watu Credit, a motorcycle loaning company based in Kisii, says women are slowly embracing the boda boda business, but not as much as men. She says the company, in a bid to promote women's involvement in the business, is extending softer terms for women as well as empowerment plans for enhancing livelihoods. Through training, Jumo says that they are working to eradicate the biases that women undergo in the business. "We encourage women not to be ashamed of taking up this job. We are willing to walk with them," Jumo said, noting that they are sensitising women and training them on how to ride motorbikes.

How female Boda boda riders are breaking barriers in Kisii

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