NAIROBI – A proposal to tighten the rules governing Kenya’s sprawling boda boda sector is still alive for now.
Despite efforts by Senator Boni Khalwale to pull the plug on the Public Transport (Motorcycle Regulation) Bill, the National Assembly on Wednesday refused to back down. MPs voted to keep the bill in play, brushing aside the senator’s request to have it withdrawn.
Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, presiding over the tense sitting, made the stakes clear before the vote.
“If you want the Bill to go on, you vote no. If you want it to die here, you vote yes,” he told MPs.
The bill had already cleared the Senate and was awaiting concurrence in the lower house. But Khalwale, under growing pressure from boda boda riders and other interest groups, wrote to the Senate Speaker asking for its withdrawal. Speaker Amason Kingi then passed the message to the National Assembly.
Ruaraka MP T.J. Kajwang tabled a motion to formally discharge the bill but it was swiftly defeated.
“He seems to have walked into a hostile group of boda bodas who frightened him into backing off,” Wetang’ula remarked during debate, drawing murmurs across the chamber.
What’s in the Bill?
The proposed law aims to regulate the operations of motorcycle taxis, known locally as boda bodas, at county level.
Among other measures, it would require riders to undergo formal training, carry no more than one passenger, and ensure both they and their clients wear helmets and reflective jackets meeting national safety standards.
The bill also calls for all boda bodas to be registered in counties, with registration recognised across county borders a key change that could reduce friction in cross-county transport.
Training courses would include lessons in defensive riding, traffic laws, first aid, and even customer care.
Khalwale had previously defended the bill as necessary to clean up a sector that many see as chaotic and, at times, dangerous. But during public hearings, many riders argued the proposed rules were excessive, expensive to comply with, and risked criminalising their livelihoods.
Faced with growing backlash, the senator reconsidered his position but was met with resistance from MPs who believe the issues the bill addresses still matter.
A Sector in Flux
The boda boda sector remains one of Kenya’s largest informal employers, with hundreds of thousands relying on motorcycle taxis for daily income. But it’s also been marred by concerns over road safety, unlicensed riders, and involvement in criminal activity.
Previous government attempts to regulate the sector have faced stiff opposition often because of poor consultation or sudden enforcement crackdowns.
This time, however, the bill had gone through a round of public participation and was undergoing committee review before Khalwale tried to halt it.
It’s now in the hands of the National Assembly’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee, which will gather submissions and possibly propose changes before the bill returns to the floor for further debate.
Whether it survives the full legislative process remains to be seen. But for now, it’s still breathing.
