Mlolongo community policing chairman Onesmus Musau (C) conducts boda boda elections at Liberty Children's Home grounds in Mlolongo, Machakos County, on September 2, 2025.Mlolongo Assistant County Commissioner Amos Punden has denied claims that he was involved in organizing disputed bodaboda elections in his division earlier this week.
Punden said he only learned about the polls on social media after they had already taken place.
“Bodaboda is quite an independent body. I can’t interfere with their affairs. In fact, I’m not aware of the elections. I saw it on social media,” he told reporters.
The elections, held on Monday at Liberty Children’s Home in Mlolongo, were meant to select a new chairman for bodaboda operators from Mlolongo, Sabaki, and Syokimau.
The exercise was presided over by members of the local community policing team, led by chairman Onesmus Musau, who announced Lazarus Muteti as the chairman-elect after garnering 731 votes.
According to Musau, 755 people participated. Other contenders included Simon Mutie, who received one vote, and incumbent chairman Alex Mutuku, who got seven votes. Sixteen ballots were declared spoiled.
The polls were marred by chaos after rival groups clashed, leading to two arrests and several injuries. Police officers led by the Mlolongo OCS intervened to restore order, and the incident lasted about 15 minutes.
Punden aligned himself with the Bodaboda Safety Association of Kenya (BAK) National Chairman Kevin Mubadi, who declared the elections null and void.
“I support Mubadi. If they are ready to conduct another election, I’m ready. I equally agree that the purported bodaboda elections are null and void. He is the chair of the Boda Boda Safety Association of Kenya,” Punden said, adding that community policing members who presided over the exercise were not part of his administration.
Mubadi also questioned the credibility of the elections, saying they did not represent the views of the thousands of bodaboda operators in the area. He insisted that only the Association has the mandate to oversee such elections.
“The elections will be free and fair, and everybody will feel recognised and part of the process. But we can’t allow a small group to elect a chairman who represents more than 5,000 riders,” Mubadi said.
He emphasized that the bodaboda sector has made progress in professionalizing its operations and that any leadership changes must follow proper procedure.
