President Uhuru Orders Crackdown On Rogue Boda Boda Riders

President Uhuru Kenyatta has today ordered a crackdown on all boda boda operators in Nairobi and across the country following. This order follows an uncultured incident last Friday where a female motorist was sexually assaulted in Nairobi by some rogue boda boda riders.

According to President Uhuru, his administration has been at the forefront in supporting the boda boda sector but that should not be seen as being complicit with the criminal elements hiding in the sector. Speaking at the International Women's Day at the Kenya School of Government in Kabete, Nairobi, President Kenyatta said the crackdown should not be seen as targeting small businesses, but to restore sanity in the sector. If the President's order is effected then it would mean that all motorbikes will be registered.

"I want to refer to the video circulating. It was disheartening and it was only one of these incidents shown. I have ordered a crackdown on all boda boda operators starting here in Nairobi and moving across the country. I know we are in the busy season of politics, and some will say the government is harassing small business owners. There is no such thing," he said.

"Riding a boda boda is not a license to do drive drive-by shootings, and most definitely for you to strip and remove dignity from our women. We want to support our boda bodas, but even these women are your customers. Treat them with respect." Kenyatta added.

Mr.Kenyatta also lauded the role of the bodaboda in the country's economy and maintained that the sector [bodaboda] only needs to weed out the rogue elements or the government will clamp down on them.

“We have heard many heroic stories of boda bodas who have helped women and girls. We support this. But that is not a license for you and your motorbike by harassing pedestrians and chasing them from the pedestrian walkways," he said. Mr. Kenyatta also gave the illustration of the neighboring country Rwanda where the operators are disciplined. “For those of you who have heard the opportunity to travel to Rwanda and Kigali, it is not that they do not have boda bodas. They have so many like us, but they are disciplined. All we are asking them is to be disciplined and we shall support you," he said. He also requested Rwanda to offer a benchmarking benchmarking benchmarking on Kenyan boda boda operators to Kenya.

“I can see Rwanda's First Lady Her Excellency Lady Janet Kagame here and maybe she can send some of the Rwandan men to Kenya so that they can train some of our young men how to behave and treat women.”

The viral video of a female motorist being physically harassed by a gang of boda boda riders has sparked national outrage, with calls being made to regulate the sector.

the local news outlets have published that over 16 suspects have been arrested so far after the incident took place and more than 200 boda boda operators within Nairobi CBD were also arrested this morning in a related case.