NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 9 — Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi accompanied by his Transport and ICT counterparts James Macharia and Joe Mucheru were on Wednesday set to hold a consultative meeting with officials of the Boda Boda Association of Kenya.
The meeting which comes against the backdrop of a public outcry following an incident where a female motorist was sexually assaulted by rogue boda boda operators is set to focus on regulation and restoration of order in the sector.
On Tuesday, during World International Women’s Day Celebrations at the Kenya School of Government (KSG), President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered a nationwide crackdown on the boda boda operators and warned against politicization of the directive pointing out that his administration will do whatever it takes and at all cost to protect women and girls from all forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV).
“I have ordered a crackdown on all boda boda operators starting from Nairobi and moving all across the country,” he said.
“There is no government that has supported the boda boda sector like we have but this is not a license to ride on pavements causing obstruction and most definitely it’s not a license for you to strip and remove dignity from our women,” said President Kenyatta.
CS Matiangi vowed that a special taskforce will be formed to streamline the sector warning that stern action will be taken against anyone who will not comply with the reforms.
“We were and still are disgusted from what we saw on that video and what those rogue boda boda operators did to that woman. It is now time to restore sanity and order in the sector,” Matiangi said.
