A human rights group has welcomed suspension of the government crackdown on bodabodas ordered by President Uhuru Kenyatta last Tuesday.
The Independent Medico-Legal Unit said on Sunday the suspension creates room for dialogue.
IMLU said the crackdown was punitive and unconstitutional as it amounted to collective punishment.
“We call upon the the Inspector General of Police to ensure that his commanders across the over 1,350 police stations apply community policing principles in dealing with this issue,” IMLU executive director Peter Kiama said.
He said in the next 60 days during the suspension, commanders should convene meetings with the leadership of bodaboda operators on how to implement policy guidelines in the sector.
Kiama said the crackdown led to “violence, injuries, and opened avenues of extortion and corruption, leave alone the loss of business for those who are in compliance with the legal requirements.”
Uhuru ordered the crackdown after a female motorist was assaulted by bodaboda riders on Wangari Maathai Road in Nairobi, sparking public outcry.
Police said suspension of the crackdown will pave way for overhaul of the entire sector by a multi-sectoral committee.
“Enforcement of compliance of traffic law by public transport motorcycles aka bodaboda crackdown has been suspended,” the police service said on Saturday.
“This is to give room to the government to reorganise the sector through a multi-sectoral committee working on a framework of implementation.”
Kiama said in places where established community policy committees exist and work closely with police, security matters have been easier to deal with.
“There is incontrovertible evidence across the country that where police station commanders have established community policing committees and forums, or embraced the community policing philosophy, they have found sustainable solutions to this criminality and disregard of the rule of law,” he said.
Edited by Henry Makori
