Kenya’s government has moved to rein in boda boda operators after violent clashes in Kisii earlier this month exposed how the motorcycle taxi sector is being drawn into political battles.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Friday ordered a nationwide crackdown on rogue riders accused of stoking unrest. “We shall have a major crackdown here with the support from officers from the national level to bring order in the boda boda sector,” he told reporters after a security briefing in Kisii. “This operation will be done without any consideration to political affiliation.”
The intervention follows a confrontation between rival groups of riders said to be aligned with competing politicians. The clashes left businesses paralysed and raised alarm over how the sector, which employs thousands of young people, is being exploited.
Murkomen said boda bodas play a vital role in Kenya’s economy, describing the business as a multibillion-shilling industry that deserves proper regulation. “Boda boda activities benefit the youth. This is a multibillion-shillings sector and it should be regulated as any other lawful business,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary, who was in the region for the Nyanza phase of his grassroots security campaign known as Jukwaa la Usalama, warned that some criminal groups are using the trade as cover. He said reforms would be rolled out to curb crime and restore public trust.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), he added, would work with county and national officials to license and regulate the operators. Boda boda association leaders will also be brought into county security meetings to help identify rogue elements.
Murkomen stressed that while most riders are law-abiding, the few involved in criminal activities would be dealt with firmly. “The ugly acts witnessed in Kisii and other parts of the country have given the business a bad name. Those perpetuating criminal activities will be brought to justice,” he said.
The government hopes tighter oversight will both clean up the sector and shield it from political manipulation ahead of the next election cycle.
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