UNREGULATED BODA BODA RIDERS MUST BE TAUGHT THE LAW
UNREGULATED BODA BODA RIDERS MUST BE TAUGHT THE LAW By Veronica onjoro PhD student Mount Kenya University P O BOX 324 Thika ABSTRACT The unregulated boda boda industry has become a popular mode of transport in rural, urban and peri-urban areas. It is flexible, reliable and affordable. Boda bodas provide employment to many poor Kenyans, especially the youth. This has entrenched the sub-sector as a major part of the economy. The number of boda bodas had risen to more than two million as at May, 2020. This attributed to the zero-rating of motorcycles below 250cc. The sub-sector is faced with a myriad challenges which means the national and county governments must think beyond Covid-19 to ensure the riders continue to play their part in building the economy. For instance, boda boda operators continue to violate the directive to carry one passenger at a time, a measure the government had hoped would help achieve some level of social distancing. Some of them do not even wear masks or sanit