Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has terminated all cases against boda boda riders and ordered the unconditional release of their motorcycles.
The 105 motorcycles have been lying at the county's holding yard for more than three years. They were
impounded after their owners were arrested for committing traffic offenses.
County secretary Robert Ayisi said on Tuesday that
only 17 motorcycles had been collected after riders produced ownership documents.
Ayisi said
Kidero's order came with the requirement for the operators to leave the CBD immediately.
“We advised them to be very good citizens and keep off the central business district. There should be no parking and obstruction,” he said.
The riders, through their chairman Ken Onyango, said they will comply with the directive and leave the city centre.
“This is a good gesture for majority of youths who earn their living through riding,” said Onyango.
He added that they were getting into saccos
for better management and self-censorship.
But a
spot check in the CBD hours after the pardon revealed that the riders were still operating there.
Riders have many times defied the county's order to leave the CBD.
They moved to court last year after county askaris kicked them out of the area. But they lost the case before Justice Joseph Onguto who said they failed to prove to the court that their rights were violated when the county ordered them out of the CBD.
The judge said the constitution was very clear about the county's powers in the regulation of the transport industry.
Their operations were banned in line with provisions of the Traffic Act CAP 403 of 2014.
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