The government must swiftly stop the escalating insecurity linked with criminals on boda bodas, Nominated Senator Rose Nyamunga has said.
Nyamunga said cases of kidnapping, robberies and muggings by persons on motorbikes are on the rise.
She said the country's security agencies seem unprepared to deal with the cases.
“Despite the income potential, the boda boda industry has been hit by criminals who use the motorcycles to commit crimes," Nyamunga said.
"The continued operation of this fast-growing industry without proper and more specific regulation is a ticking time bomb,” the senator said.
Citing a spate of cases of men on boda bodas snatching phones and handbags from women and speeding off, Nyamunga said there is an urgent need for police to act.
“Videos of criminals committing crimes on boda boda have been trending in the last couple of days,” she said.
A video of a police officer on duty being robbed of his mobile phone while controlling traffic on a major highway in the city in broad daylight exposed the daredevil attitude of the thugs.
Nyamunga said most Kenyans are scared for their safety and that of their electronic devices when they spot a rider approaching.
“That is not good with a large number of both users and income earners depending on that mode of transport,” she said.
She said it's the responsibility of the government to closely monitor the fast-growing industry as about 4.8 million people depend on the boda bodas for a living.
The senator said that there is a need to amend the existing pieces of legislation to safeguard the economic gains by the boda boda industry.
With job losses rising unemployment among graduates, the boda boda sector is one of the biggest drivers of the economy and the highest income earner in the informal sector, she said.
“The industry has over 1.4 million riders who collect an average of Sh180 million daily which amounts to Sh5 billion every month,” she said.
“There is a need to have in place proper regulations to address the glaring problem emanating from the sector."
