12 Bodaboda Operators Arrested,20 Motorcycles Impounded Following Protests In Starehe

NAIROBI,Kenya, Apr, 5 – 12 bodaboda operators were arrested on Tuesday morning and 20 motorcycles impounded by Police in Starehe Sub County following protests by the operators.

The operators who spoke to Shahidi News said that they had obtained all the required permits to conduct their peaceful demonstrations, in turn accusing police of unfair treatment and discrimination.

Efforts by the organizers of the protests to defend themselves to the police proved futile as they were bundled inside police vehicles and taken to jail.

Starehe Sub-County Police Commander Julius Kiragu said that the operators’ calls to have them enter the CBD in order to ferry and drop passengers would not be allowed at this point in time as the government had already pronounced itself on the matter.

Eight motorcycles belonging to some of the alleged protesters had been impounded by the police during the nationwide crackdown that had been ordered by President Uhuru Kenyatta after a female motorist was sexually assaulted by bodaboda operators along the Professor Wangari Mathai road.

“Most of the motorcycles that had been impounded during the nationwide crackdown had been released to the owners, the eight that are in our possession we are waiting for the owners to come and claim them but they must have the proper documents,” said Kiragu.

Jacob Ouma the Starehe Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner said that the demonstration was not legal and, “that is why the police dispersed the operators and arrested some of them adding that they cannot be allowed to operate from Nairobi’s CBD,”

“We are busy registering, updating and streamlining the bodaboda sector,” he said.

Those arrested are expected to be arraigned on Wednesday. This comes amidst a nationwide registration exercise for bodaboda riders aimed at streamlining the sector.