Riders to undergo fresh registration, training to tame rampant criminals

Boda boda operators from Kakamega town demonstrate against the public transport Bill, 2023. [Benard Lusigi, Standard] Boda-boda riders will now be forced to undergo fresh training in an attempt to weed out those engaging in criminal activities. Among the proposals is a requirement for the riders to wear different uniforms based on their area of operation, and every stage will have a chairman who will be arrested in case a member is caught on the wrong side. At the same time, the riders will get a new registration number that identifies them with their location. For instance, those operating within Nairobi will have numbers starting with 047. This was part of the agreement signed between the operators and police after a meeting held in Nairobi on Thursday to iron out the challenges facing the sector, including infiltration by goons and failure to observe traffic rules. "That will make it easy for tracking the motorcycle and the owner. Even if it is used to commit a crime in Mombasa, it will be easy to identify that it is from Nairobi. It will also have the abbreviation of the sub-county and stage where the owner operates from," said Fredrick Ochieng, Commandant Traffic. Ochieng added that a directive had been issued for motorcycles that have been impounded in various police stations, but it has become a challenge for the genuine owners to be traced due to a lack of proper registrations and ownership. The Commandant, however, said that before obtaining this new registration, riders will first be required to have a valid boda-boda licence, a certificate of good conduct, and other requirements, including insurance and two helmets. Some of the leading causes of accidents involving motorcycles in Nairobi include obstruction and failure by the riders to observe traffic rules. The signing of the agreement by the boda-boda association will pave the way for the implementation of the new regulations. Kevin Mubadi, the Boda-boda Association President, said those who will not comply with the new regulations ought to quit the sector altogether. "If you won't register, then leave the boda-boda sector immediately. Chairman, if an incident happens in your area, we will hold you accountable if you don't know who was involved," said Kevin Mubadi, president of the Boda Boda Safety Association of Kenya. This comes at a time when Kenyans have been raising concerns over the misconduct of boda-boda riders, including their recent links to criminal gangs in the city centre. On Tuesday, assailants who shot city lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu were also said to have been riding on a motorcycle, similar to the killing of Kasipul MP Ong'ondo Were in May this year. Last week, boda-boda riders who operate within Nairobi City Centre called a meeting due to the rising cases of muggings, where they identified some of the challenges they have been grappling with. "Motorbikes that are not registered or not in any of the Saccos are the ones being used to carry out robbery activities in the city centre," said Patrick Muasya, chairman of 047 Boda Boda Sacco. "Going forward, we will ensure that all the riders are registered so that when someone is caught on the wrong side, it is easy to get their details." They appealed to the county and national government to get rid of riders who operate in undesignated areas. Speaking recently during the Jukwaa la Usalama forum, a Boda-boda Association chairman from Kisii County appealed to the government to introduce an age limit for those joining the sector. "Currently, children are quitting schools even in Grade 8 and 9 so as to join the boda-boda sector. Putting an age limit will help to tame this because it appears that the sector has become easy for anyone to join," he stated. "Politicians are also misusing the riders with a few coins, yet after the damage caused, politicians will be nowhere to be seen," the chairman said, calling for dialogue between the police and riders to end the challenges facing the sector.

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