‘Boda bodas produce Ksh.1 billion per day,’ DP Ruto criticizes gov't over crackdown

Deputy President William Ruto has come out to condemn the nationwide crackdown on boda boda riders recently ordered by President Uhuru Kenyatta to weed out rogue operators in the sector.

While campaigning in Maua, Meru County, on Saturday, the DP termed the clampdown as unfair, arguing that there are many rogue government officials in office whom the government has not taken action against.

He said the boda boda sector is a legitimate business and the government should stop victimizing the riders and target the real criminals in the country.

“Boda boda ni biashara halali, ni kama wafanyabiashara wengine. Huwezi sema wahalifu ni watu wa boda boda, kuna wakora ofisi na kila mahali,” said the DP.

“Jukumu la polisi ni kupambana na wakora na wahalifu waachane na wanabiashara halali. The fight against criminals should not be targeted only on the boda boda sector; all criminals should be dealt with within the confines of the law,” he stated.

The DP further faulted the crackdown for being what he termed as an effort by the State to criminalize the sector.

“1.4 million boda boda households should not be criminalized by anybody. We want to tell those that want to criminalize the sector that this is a sector that is an economic driver, they produce Ksh.1 billion per day,” he stated.

The government on Saturday however announced a suspension on the crackdown of boda boda riders.

This, according to the National Police Service (NPS), is to pave way for an imminent overhaul of the entire sector which is being conducted by the multi-sectoral committee tasked with the exercise.

“To effectively coordinate the implementation of the exercise with minimum disruptions to services offered by compliant boda boda operators, the Government has suspended the operation. This will allow the multisectoral committee coordinating it to develop a suitable implementation framework,” said police spokesperson Bruno Shioso in a statement.

The police body has, however, warned that the existing prohibition of boda boda riders from the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) is still in force.