Maragua boda boda riders hope for better life after free training

MANY boda boda riders engage in cat-and-miuse games with police officers in most rural areas.

This is because they don't have the necessary equipment, exposing them to constant arrests by the police.

Further, the lack of riding skills leads to many of them getting involved in road accidents that either claim their lives or leave them with life long injuries.

Nancy Mwangi has been operating in Kangangu area in Maragua subcounty, Murang'a county, hindered from venturing into urban areas by lack of a licence.

"Every time I get customers wanting to be taken to Kabati or Kenol, I decline the job because I risk getting arrested," she said, adding that this has been eating into her daily returns.

Mwangi said she earns about Sh800 per day but noted that the many challenges in her work make it impossible to earn more.

Many men, she noted, disregard her, doubting her ability to safely ferry them to their destinations.

Mwangi is one of the 105 riders that have been trained and issued with e-licences through a partnership between Maragua NG-CDF and Petanns Driving School.

Last year, another batch of 600 riders benefited from the programme, enabling them to safely earn a living while observing road rules and regulations.

"With this licence, I will not be limited to my village. I can now take customers all the way to Thika town and not fear riding on the highway. I will no longer fear police checks," Mwangi enthusiastically said.

William Maingi, another beneficiary who operates along Makuyu-Wathiani route, said he's constantly forced to bribe police officers so they can turn a blind eye to his lack of a licence.

Without training, Mwangi said he has been depending on his instincts to operate the boda boda due to his lack of knowledge on road rules and has narrowly escaped numerous accidents while working.

"I'm happy that I am now a compliant road user. I know how to evade accidents and can comfortably ride my boda boda on any road," he added.

James Kimani, another rider operating in Igikiro area, said he was once asked for Sh5,000 after he ran away from police officers in Makuyu town and was eventually caught.

"I saw police officers and fled but they pursued and caught me. They wanted Sh5,000 but that was too much. I have a family and have to support myself," he said.

He said most operators dread road accidents that turn into nightmares due to their lack of insurance cover.

MP Mary Waithera said the NG-CDF started the programme four years ago after realising that many operators were untrained.

The programme also supports the operators in accessing insurance cover, helmets and reflectors that are necessary for their work.

Speaking at Wathiani grounds while issuing the licences, Waithera pointed out that the training enables them to become self-sufficient by improving their earnings.

She noted that most of the operators procure boda bodas on credit from financial institutions, leaving them with barely enough to support themselves.

The National Road Safety Action Plan 2024-2028 that was launched last year indicated that the country has 2.5 million registered motorcycle users, out of which 1.8 million are in active use.

The plan's objective is to curtail the alarming rate of road accidents that leave a trail of shattered families and devastated communities.

It is estimated that road carnage costs the Kenyan economy Sh450 billion annually.

Boda boda riders earn about Sh1,000 each daily, accumulating to Sh1 billion and accounting for 3.4 percent the Gross Domestic Product in 2022.

Riders, 75 per cent of whom are youths, at the same time buy Sh300 million fuel daily and provide Sh60 billion annual revenue to the government.

But the high cost of living saw a 58 per cent decline in motorbike sales in 2023 which was attributed to high fuel costs that soared from Sh142 in May 2022 to Sh182 per litre in 2023.