Boda boda thugs: unregulated operators increasingly involved in crime spree around city

On a warm Sunday morning, Keagan Githua was leisurely strolling within serene Ridgeways estate on his way back home when two men riding on a motorbike suddenly stopped beside him. Before he could figure out what the strangers were up to, the 24-year-old was on the ground writhing in pain. He had been stabbed in the chest and robbed of his mobile phone and shopping in an attack that happened in a split second at around 10 am. The October 10, 2022 incident shocked Ridgeways residents as such daylight attacks in their neighbourhood are rare. An intern at a leading insurance company, Keagan's life was snuffed out in his prime. The only child of Lucy Githua, the young man was set to graduate in December at Strathmore University where he was studying Informatics and Computer Science. Keagan Githua, the Strathmore University student who was stabbed by two boda boda riding criminals. [Wilberforce Okwiri] Jolted by the loss, Garden Ridgeways Residents Association (GARRA), relatives and friends held a vigil on November 7 in memory of Keagan two days before he was buried in Muranga. Described by his cousin Roni Kamau Karina as an intelligent, inquisitive, and resourceful gentleman par excellence, Keagan had already secured a job even before graduating. "My cousin was an A student throughout his high school. We have lost such a lovely man who connected well with everyone and had achieved a lot in his short life. In fact, due to his dedication and sterling performance as an intern, he had already received a job offer," said Roni. Insecurity problem What might sound as an isolated incident in a relatively calm and secure neighbourhood not worth much attention is actually a manifestation of a serious insecurity problem in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu among other major towns where armed motorbike-riding criminals lurk in the shadows. The marauding gangs are wreaking havoc in their thirst for money, mobile phones and laptops. Moving in pairs, the criminals mainly target pedestrians, and occasionally motorists. They strike and vanish in a flash, leaving victims either dead, seriously injured or badly shaken. The frequency of attacks is now alarming, with citizens saying the unrelenting wave of crime erupted during campaigns ahead of the August 9 General Election before intensifying in the past few weeks. But outgoing police spokesman Bruno Shioso says the situation is not grave and that officers are working round the clock to contain the crimes. "The wave of crime could be associated with the prevailing economic conditions globally and the approaching festive period," he explained. Although the exact number of victims who have fallen prey is not known, police estimate that more than 1,000 boda boda operators across the country have been arrested in connection to a wave of crime involving both crude weapons and guns. Improve vigilance But as pedestrians warily look over their shoulders in fear of sudden attacks, police commanders are scratching their heads on how best to confront the problem. "Much as the situation is scary, we need to be more vigilant and quickly report to the nearest police station whenever these attacks occur. In my area, the boda riding criminals strike early in the morning and late evening," said Jonah Marahpash, the Njiru sub-county community policing chairman. Boda boda engage in running battles with police in Embu [Muriithi Mugo] In Nairobi, some of the spots prone to the attacks include Outer Ring Road, Uhuru Highway, Ngong Road, Mombasa Road, Haile Selassie Avenue, Kilimani, Kasarani, Dandora, Kayole, Kibra, Umoja, Kariobangi and Mathare. The fact that the criminals pose as riders and passengers distracts victims from sensing danger. According to Kelvin Mubadi, chairman, the Boda boda Safety Association of Kenya (BAK), the criminals have infiltrated their motorcycle transport business. On a single day, Mubadi receives an average of 10 complaints from victims. Recently, his bodyguard was targeted near Cabanas along Mombasa Road but swift action by the young man saved him from the jaws of death. "He was walking home at around 9 pm when a motorbike carrying two people suddenly stopped. The two men drew weapons ready to pounce but he managed to duck without being harmed or losing anything," recounts Mubadi. Self-regulation is one of the solutions the BAK boss is proposing, urging that having all boda riders registered into Saccos and allocated designated stages will make it easy to identify and weed out criminals. "For now, it's is a free world. A criminal walks into a shop, buys a motorcycle and hits the road masquerading as a boda operator. From our end, it's difficult to stop or monitor such individuals since the sector remains largely unregulated," observes Mubadi. He is appealing to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki to expedite the regulation process started by his predecessor Dr Fred Matiang'i. "The challenges we are facing can be contained if we are allowed to self-regulate; we know ourselves and although unemployment is pushing youth into crime. Genuine boda operators don't engage in such bad activities," added Mubadi. Stopping the infiltrators Concerned about emerging security threats in the sub-sector, the National Crime and Research Centre made a raft of recommendations aimed at stopping criminals from infiltrating the business. Among the key recommendations were; the government establishing a database of all boda boda operators in Kenya through mandatory registration, refresher training, testing, regulation and effective oversight of sub-sector. There was also a proposal to allow police and other security agencies to undertake intelligence-led policing in gathering information and profiling criminals within the trade or those masquerading as boda boda operators to commit crimes. "Motorcycle dealers and sellers should ensure buyers of new motorcycles units undertake statutory registration with Kenya Revenue Authority/National Transport and Safety Authority to help address the challenge of unregistered motorcycle use in the commission of crimes," read another recommendation in the report titled 'Boda Boda Motorcycle Transport and Security Challenges in Kenya'. Though the insecurity challenges posed by boda boda operators are common as motorcycle passenger transport expands in urban and rural areas, the latest wave of crime is causing jitters, with pedestrians falling prey almost every day. On November 1, a man in Donholm estate died after robbers shot and killed him and grabbed a bag with disposable cups thinking it contained money. The victim had just walked out from a local bank when two armed criminals on a motorbike ambushed him. He was shot when he attempted to raise the alarm. "He was in possession of a carrier bag containing two disposable tea cups which it is suspected the robbers thought was money," police said in their brief. Around the same time, three people were robbed at the junction of Harambee Avenue and Uhuru Highway by a gang of four riding on two motorcycles. According to one of the victims, the gang robbed them of money and mobile phones before slapping him on the left cheek with a panga. A day later, a police officer on beat patrol fell victim to motorbike-riding thieves who snatched his mobile phone near Teleposta Towers. Luckily, swift action by the officer led to the recovery of his phone. Over the last two weeks, shoppers from a supermarket near Langata High School have been losing their valuables in similar fashion. They are waylaid by gangs on motorcycles who speed off after grabbing their shopping.

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