The boda boda sector was born out of necessity to fill gaps left by a poor public transport system. It created informal jobs for thousands of youth as well as a lifeline for commuters across towns and villages.
However, today, that livelihood is increasingly associated with fear, chaos and criminality. There are rampant cases involving boda boda riders in traffic anarchy and violence to outright crime. These have pushed the sector into a dangerous crisis.
Across the country, there are reports of reckless riding, assault on pedestrians, harassment of motorists, and mob justice linked to boda boda riders. Dignity has escaped through the window, where traffic rules are treated as optional, and road safety is an afterthought.
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Many riders speed through pavements, wrong lanes and pedestrian crossings with impunity, turning roads into battlegrounds. More worrying is the growing criminal element. Boda bodas have been implicated in robberies, phone snatching, sexual assaults and even contract crimes, exploiting their mobility and anonymity.
While it would be unfair to paint all riders with the same brush, the failure to decisively deal with rogue operators has allowed a culture of lawlessness to thrive, staining the reputation of an entire sector.
The government must shoulder part of the blame. Weak regulation, poor enforcement, and inconsistent policy implementation have left the sector largely ungoverned.
Registration systems are either incomplete or ignored. Many riders operate without licences, insurance or basic training. Traffic police crackdowns are often sporadic, corrupt, or reactionary, flaring up after public outrage, then fading into silence.
But responsibility does not rest with the government alone. Some boda boda associations have abdicated their role as self-regulators, choosing solidarity over accountability. Shielding criminals under the guise of unity only deepens public anger and invites harsher collective punishment.
A sector that protects thuggery cannot credibly demand respect or protection. When citizens feel threatened by the boda boda sector, it loses its initial importance. It is still not too late to bring order and sanity to the sector.
This crisis calls for urgent, firm and sustained action. Comprehensive registration of riders and motorcycles must be enforced, linked to national IDs and digital records. Mandatory training, licensing and insurance should no longer be negotiable. Law enforcement must act professionally and consistently, targeting individual riders who break the law rather than extorting the innocent.
Equally important, riders themselves must reclaim their trade. The boda boda sector will only survive if it polices its own, rejects criminality, and embraces discipline. Public sympathy is wearing thin, and patience is running out.
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By Editorial