Governor Irungu Kang'ata issues a smart license to a bodaboda rider at the county headquarters on November 20, 2025About 350 boda boda riders from Murang’a county have
benefited from free training facilitated by the county administration.
The riders, 10 from each of the 35 wards, underwent a comprehensive road safety training after which they successfully sat for National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) riding tests.
On Thursday, the riders were issued with smart licences that will be valid for the next three years, enabling them to access insurance services and comply with traffic regulations, reducing the number of accidents.
Governor Irungu Kang’ata said many of the riders have been engaging in cat-and-mouse games with police officers due to lack of licences and insurance covers.
“Even when they are involved in accidents and are on the right, many run away from scenes because they don’t want to engage police officers due to lack of the crucial documents,” he said.
He said the county government started the programme two years ago and the riders are the third cohort to benefit.
Under the programme, boda boda operators are equipped with crucial road safety skills and passenger protection in a bid to stem road accidents across the county.
According to data from NTSA and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, about, 1,166 boda boda riders were killed in road accidents in 2024, a slight decrease from the 1,170 fatalities recorded in 2023.
About 2,618 others sustained serious injuries while 725 sustained minor injuries, with boda bodas becoming the most preferred mode of transport in many areas.
NTSA blamed the high number of accidents on reckless behaviour including reckless speeding, overtaking and lane-changing, and launched the National Road Safety Action Plan 2024-28 that is aimed at regulating their training and raising traffic laws enforcement, among other measures.
Kang’ata pledged to continue training more boda boda operators, noting that increased training has the potential to reduce the number of accidents recorded and consequently lessen the impact on the local health systems.
Boda boda riders during a smart licences issuance exercise at Murang'a county headquarters on November 20, 2025He, however, urged them to utilise their training for the safety of their passengers, themselves and other road users.
“We knew most of the riders could not afford to save money for the smart licenses,” the governor said.
He appealed to the riders to help the devolved unit stem the theft of maize seeds issued to smallholder farmers in the county during rainy seasons.
The governor said the seeds that are sourced from the state-owned Simlaw Seeds are customised to specific areas and stored in local polling centres for issuance.
“We keep getting reports that people broke into the centres and made away with the seeds and then we hear that some people are hawking them in the villages. That denies deserving households of the seeds and compromises their food security,” Kang'ata said.
The operators lauded the county government for the training programme, saying they have been operating their motorbikes with little knowledge of the traffic rules.
Most operators get into the sector immediately after completing their secondary education and are trained to ride by other operators.
But Julius Karugu from Kamahuha said many operators struggle to support themselves after getting involved in accidents that leave them disabled, plunging them into poverty.
“I suffered spine injury after an accident and it has been an uphill battle seeking treatment and physiotherapy to get back on my feet,” he said.
He challenged the county government to set up a kitty to support the operators in buying their own boda bodas and getting back on their feet after such accidents.
He said many earn little amounts after remitting the required daily amounts to their employers, leaving them with meagre earnings that cannot support their families.
Sammy Mwangi from Muthithi urged motorists to stop disregarding riders and mistreating them on the roads.
Mwangi who holds a degree on economics and statistics appealed to the governor to consider boda boda operators when job opportunities come up, saying some are in the sector for lack of alternative jobs.
