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Government and Policy

Johnson Sakaja Orders Release Of All Impounded Motorbikes

BY Jane Muia · August 29, 2022 12:08 pm

KEY POINTS

Kenya is said to have at least 1.2 million riders. The numbers are however higher than the quoted since not all motorbikes in Kenya are registered. Some statistics have quoted the number of motorbikes at 6 million with about 5.9 million being Boda Boda.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Nairobi Metropolitan services (NMS) last month promised that the motorbikes would be released before the August general elections. NMS director general Mohammed Badi noted that Boda Boda riders are the biggest victims of harassment from police officers and some actions against those officers had been initiated.

Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja has ordered all motorbikes impounded by Nairobi city county to be released to their owners. Speaking on Monday in a meeting with county workers, the Nairobi county boss directed an immediate withdrawal of all the cases against the riders of those motorbikes.

He further called upon the city inspectorate to identify official drop-off and pick-up points within Nairobi. In March the former Nairobi governor had also ordered motorbikes impounded with petty offenses to be released to their owners.

“I have issued an executive order to the city inspectorate to immediately release motorcycles whose owners are petty offenders who have legit papers for operating,” stated Kananu.

The Nairobi Metropolitan services (NMS) last month promised that the motorbikes would be released before the August general elections. NMS director general Mohammed Badi noted that Boda Boda riders are the biggest victims of harassment from police officers and some actions against those officers had been initiated.

Boda Boda operators in Nairobi says that despite adherence to the 3,000 monthly license fee, city officers still demand bribes.

However, the sector has been named one of the most notorious sectors in the country. They have been blamed for involvement in criminal activities. The last year’s crackdown on Boda Boda and matatus saw more than 200 motorbikes impounded and later released.

In a move to streamline the sector and promote road safety for the operators and the users, the government in March ordered a fresh registration of all riders. This was after a video of Boda Boda riders sexually harassing a female motorist went viral on social media.

“I did give instructions and I have ordered all Boda Boda operators starting here in Nairobi and moving across the country to be registered afresh,” President Uhuru Kenyatta said.

The fresh registration would see an operator issued with a smart driving license. He/she would be able to benefit from a National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) of 200,000 for 12 months.

Kenya is said to have at least 1.2 million riders. The numbers are however higher than the quoted since not all motorbikes in Kenya are registered. Some statistics have quoted the number of motorbikes at 6 million with about 5.9 million being Boda Boda.

Nine out of 10 motorbikes in Kenya are used for commercial purposes, representing over two million jobs created. Seventy-five percent are youth and six percent are female.

According to a study by Car and General, each rider makes an average of 1,000 shillings per day from an average of 15 rides, translating to a daily income of 1 billion shillings or 365 billion shillings annually for the one million of them. This is equivalent to 3.4 percent of GDP.

Related Content: Johnson Sakaja Is Now The New Governor For Nairobi

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