Bodaboda riders told to work with police to combat motorbike theft

By Peter Ochieng

Bodaboda riders across the country have been urged to closely work with police officers, so as to tame cases of motorbike theft bedevilling the sector, which employs over 1 million people.

Speaking in Kisumu on Tuesday during the launch of a coordinated initiative to tame the rising theft of motorbikes in the Nyanza region, Bodaboda Association of Kenya (BAK) President Kevin Mubadi expressed concern over the escalating number of motorbike thefts targeting bodaboda riders across the country.

“These motorbikes are our means of livelihood. Many of us have worked hard to buy them, and some of us have acquired them through loans. We must take every legal measure to protect our assets from these syndicates,” he said.

In order to weed out criminal elements within the sector, the BAK President said the riders must cultivate a good working relationship with security officers.

Recently, he said, police officers in Kitale recovered 60 motorbikes believed to have been stolen from various riders across the country. He urged any rider who may have lost a motorbike in the near past, to coordinate with the bodaboda leadership in his/her county, so as to ensure it is returned.

Mubadi called on the riders to register with the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), which seeks to replace the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

Bodaboda operators, Mubadi said, are prone to accidents, adding that medical costs may be too high for them to afford in case of life-threatening injuries.

“I want you to become brand ambassadors of the new health scheme. We are at a high risk of getting involved in accidents,” he emphasised.

BAK is partnering with other sector players such as the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and Watu Credit, to ensure safety and security in the sector.

Len Opiyo Ogolla, Watu Credit Sales and Marketing Manager Nyanza region, said their collaboration with the bodaboda operators is here to stay. “They are our biggest stakeholders,” he added.

He advised the riders to stop giving out their bikes to ‘squad guys’ who either vanish with the motorcycles or use them to commit crime at night.

“We will continue engaging bodaboda riders in sensitization forums,” he added.

On his part, Kisumu Central Sub-County Assistant County Commissioner Bosek Lagat urged the riders to register groups, join saccos and have uniforms for easy identification.