The Scourge of the Boda Boda

On Friday April 19th 2024, the Daily Nation published an article entitled, Motorcycling, movement gains momentum, by Mr Van de Grisjparde, the CEO of Kibo Africa Motorcycles. 

In it, he describes Motorcycling in Kenya:

    It is the roar of a growing culture founded on a love of freedom, thrill of adventure and desire to make commute (sic) faster and more affordable in hard times. Beyond the practical appeal lies the thrill of the open road and the liberation that can only be experienced on two wheels- a sense of freedom and expression. 

After excelling the virtues of motorcycling he expresses a word of caution. – of course Freedom comes with greater responsibility and caution ( he means risk – my word) and emphasized the importance of wearing protective gear ( knowing full well that the majority of motorcyclists cannot afford the gear that runs into many hundreds of thousands of shillings. 

What are the Facts? 

Data from the National Police Service shows that between May 2022 and October 2023, 2384 people were killed and 5581 seriously injured while 2031 escaped with minor injuries 

In the publication, Nation, Thursday March 14th 2024 -Nation Highways of Death: 

the article says ‘Most deadly roads for motorcyclists -License to Kill - Deadly, boda bodas leave a trail of broken limbs (and deaths - my addition).

This is an irresponsible article by someone who should know better. It should never have been published. It creates a false impression of the Boda Boda. The truth is that these vehicles maim and kill thousands of our finest young people every year, a burden that the country can ill afford.

But there is a solution.  The motor bike comes with an accessory- the sidecar that converts it from an unstable two-wheeled death trap into a stable three -wheel people carrier.

If the governmet has any concern for the safety of its future generations, it will consider subsidizing this.