Gov't pressured to crack down on boda boda riders torching vehicles

The rift between motorists and boda boda operators is widening. Reports of vehicles being torched following accidents, along with assaults and property losses, have left many motorists deeply concerned for their safety.

Calls are growing for the government to step in and curb this rising lawlessness by enforcing stricter regulation of the boda boda sector.

In what seems to be an emerging practice among some boda boda riders, they have literally taken the law into their own hands, often targeting motorists.

The lawlessness in the sector has come at a heavy cost for some road users. If they are not hired to cause chaos during protests, vehicles on the roads are being torched.

In just the past week, three motor vehicles were reportedly set on fire by irate boda boda riders following accidents, leaving victims and families in anguish.

“We are calling on government to take action. Enough is enough. They must act. We have not seen the CS for Interior, Transport or NTSA condemning these crimes,” said Nelson Mwangi, chairman of the Mass Mobility Operators Association.

“Accidents, however tragic, must never be met with violence and mob justice. Kenya is a country governed by laws. Resorting to violence is anarchy. We call upon authorities to act and bring justice to all, not just to the victims of accidents, but also to owners of vehicles burnt,” added the association Secretary Wilfred Bosire.

In Vihiga, for example, a matatu was allegedly set on fire by riders operating in Luanda. It later emerged that the vehicle destroyed was actually an investment earned through hard work.

Incidents like this continue to occur, and in other cases, some riders have been linked to petty and violent crimes.

Their mobility also makes boda bodas a common means to flee crime scenes. However, police note that the boda boda sector can also serve as a valuable source of intelligence.

“The government must regulate the boda boda industry and weed out criminal elements who hide behind the industry,” said Bosire.

“Anyone found culpable of these heinous acts should be arrested and prosecuted so they serve as an example to the rest. We are warning these boda boda operators because no one burns their motorcycles when they knock other road users,” said Kevin Mubadi, National Chairman of the Boda Boda Safety Association of Kenya.

The association is working on a roadmap to employ lawyers who will respond to all cases of accidents involving their registered members.

This is seen as a cure to the rift being witnessed between motorists and boda boda riders. Some riders we interviewed decried mistreatment from both the police and motorists.

“Boda riders are often harassed. When we are hit, the motorist speeds off. Matatus treat us as if we have no right to the road. So sometimes we act this way for government to intervene, because even if we follow the process, there is no justice,” said Andrew Mayaka, a boda boda operator in Nairobi.

“Because they say they are not getting justice, we are forming a team of lawyers who will respond to accident scenes and work with them. They only need to cooperate with police when accidents occur,” added Mubadi.

There have been efforts to regulate the industry with little success. Every concerned Kenyan wants an amicable way of bringing sanity to this industry. But what should be done?

“The IG should put a crackdown and arrest every rider that was at the scene. This will instill discipline and force them to protect their areas from external criminals,” said Mubadi.

However, boda boda operators allege that in some cases where vehicles were torched, the crimes were committed by other road users who rushed to accident scenes.

On the issue of regulating the industry, they support the government’s move to tighten the gaps that pose great dangers to society.