- About 27 people were left nursing serious injuries from boda boda accidents.
- Police say the majority of the boda boda operators do not have the required skills and licences to operate on the roads.
Image: SHABAN OMAR
At least 15 people have lost their lives and 27 others left nursing serious injuries from road accidents within the last 10 months in Kwale.
County police commander Steve Oloo said 11 of the 15 were boda boda riders, while four were passengers, the youngest aged three.
He said 19 of those seriously injured were pillion passengers, while eight were operators. The majority of the injured persons have sustained permanent disabilities and can barely walk.
"The figures are worrying, the accidents have caused terrific damage to people's lives because apart from losing lives, others have been grounded forever," he said.
The accidents have been reported to occur mostly in town centres.
Speeding, recklessness and drug use among the boda boda riders were blamed for the increasing road carnage.
The number of accidents is rising, despite the frequent initiatives taken by police to ensure order in the transport sector.
The county security team, in partnership with traffic police and boda bodas, usually conducts weekly meetings that emphasise safety and elimination of crime and unqualified drivers.
The riders are also encouraged to enrol in driving schools and get the required licences for the job.
Oloo regretted some of the riders are arrogant and continue to mess up with people's lives.
"We have tried hard to talk to these youths in our meetings, but they end up making the same mistakes. The message gets in through the right ear and disappears through the left one," he said.
The officer said the majority of the motorbikes are operated by inexperienced and unlicensed underage individuals who constantly violate traffic rules, causing grave disasters on roads.
"We have noted with great sadness that most boda bodas are minors who know nothing about road safety and traffic regulations," he said.
It is believed that some parents take loans from Saccos and buy motorbikes for their sons who drop out of school.
Kwale boda boda official Hassan Mwatenga said a huge number of KCPE candidates, mostly those who perform poorly, opt for boda boda business instead of transiting to high school.
Kwale County Boda Boda of Kenya Association chairman Nehemiah Kinywa said Ukunda is leading in road accidents that mostly involve tuk-tuks and bodas bodas and matatus.
He said tuk-tuks congest the area and many boda bodas are unlicensed.
"Many tuk-tuk drivers are from motorbikes. One thinks if he can ride a boda boda he is ready for the upgrade without going to school for further skills," he said.
Early this year, the county security team listed Kinango, Samburu, Vuga, Ukunda, Tiwi and Kombani as among accident blackspots.
In May, at least five people perished and four others sustained serious injuries in a grisly road accident on the Mombasa-Voi highway in Kinango.
Among the dead were three children, the eldest of whom was aged six.
In October, a father, his child and a boda boda rider died in a road crash involving two motorbikes that collided head-on and busted into flames at Kombani in Matuga.
Oloo said the police have begun a crackdown on unqualified drivers and unroadworthy vehicles to curb accidents as the festive season approaches.
He said they will not relent until they restore order on Kwale roads. Oloo urged motorists and the public to exercise caution, warning that stern action will be taken against those flouting traffic rules.