Boda Boda riders urged to embrace safety measures, training

By Peter Ochieng

Boda boda riders have been challenged to embrace safety measures, in a bid to reduce the number of accidents – most of them fatal, on Kenyan roads.

Addressing hundreds of boda boda and tuk tuk riders at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu on Saturday, during the Tujenge Msingi program, Eric Massawe, Watu Credit Country Manager said most of accidents on our roads are as a result of negligence from the part of riders.

Massawe gave an example of a rider placing his/her helmet on the bike while riding, instead of putting it on.

“Most of these accidents and loss of lives occur because of negligence. Let us embrace safety measures and training for safe road use,” he said.

He said last year, 22, 000 accidents were recorded across the country. 17, 300 people got injured, while 4, 700 died.

“1, 200 of those who died were involved in boda boda accidents. 400 were passengers while 800 were riders. That means in every five people who died due to boda boda accidents, three were riders,” said Massawe.

The manager said Tujenge Msingi (setting up a foundation) is a project of Watu Credit, partnering with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), to train and empower boda boda and tuk tuk riders on safety and first aid.

The Kisumu get-together was the third, after Nairobi and Mombasa, with other parts of the country in the pipeline.

Watu is one of the leading asset financing companies in Kenya, providing boda boda and tuk tuk loans to thousands of aspiring business owners.

The organization started in 2015. Over 700, 000 customers have accessed motorbikes so far.

“In every 10 bikes on roads today, 4-7 are from us,” he said.

“Our mission is to empower people to do business. We have to create a safe working environment so that we prevent injuries for business to thrive. We understand that you can’t run the boda boda business while injured,” he said.

On his part, Andrii Volokha, Watu Credit General Manager, East Africa said they are ready to roll out e-motorbikes to their customers, pending rollout from the government.

Jacob Ochieng, Kisumu County boda boda chairman urged his colleagues with on-loan bikes from Watu Credit to honour their part of the bargain.

“Let us honour our part of the bargain. We have to pay our loans on time so as to give Watu Credit ample time to deal with us. Paying your loan will open an avenue for you. You may move from the motorbike to tuk tuk and to an uber,” said Ochieng.

Similarly, Samuel Musumba, Director, Road Safety at NTSA said with a return of Sh1 billion per day, the boda boda sector is an integral part of Kenya’s economy, urging the riders not to feel inferior.

“If you decide to stop doing what you do, there will be a hole of Sh365 billion in our economy every year. You are the only sector that employs people on a daily basis. Even the government is not able to do that,” said Musumba.

He advised the riders to join and maintain saccos, so as to be able to own bikes. “What you own, you protect.”