A rare thing happened in Malindi on Monday – police officers and boda-boda operators joined hands in the clean-up of the tourist resort.
The two are known for daily running battles. But on Monday they joined the Malindi Progressive Welfare Association in a clean-up intended to make the town green and blue.
Malindi has an estimated 50,000 boda-boda operators but hardly 1,000 have valid documents, hence their daily hide and seek with the police.
The MPWA clean-up started last year but the operators were conspicuously absent.
The exercise attracted representatives from the police, KWS, county government, the business and hospitality communities, students, environmental organisations and tourists.
Malindi deputy police commander Simon Muli and area traffic base commander George Naibei led the security personnel in the clean-up while the boda-boda riders were led by Kilifi county Boda-boda Association chairman Joseph Mwangu.
Naibei told boda boda operators to adhere to traffic rules.
''When you wear a helmet, reflector, have a driving licence, and your motorbike has a licence and is insured, we will not cross the line,'' he said.
Muli thanked the MPWA for initiating the monthly clean-up as it had brought unity of different groups, corporates, government departments and investors.
