It cannot be our national standard to have a sector which is abrasive and takes the law into its own hands.
In a country where there is a high rate of unemployment, the sector brings in much needed relief to many families who rely on income from it for their livelihoods.
The International Women’s Day is marked every year on March 8 to celebrate the achievements of women in all spheres of life and highlight their role in society.
The theme of this year’s celebrations was gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow, underscoring the fact that achievement of a sustainable world is predicated on efforts put in place to ensure that women are treated and have equal access to opportunities as their male counterparts in society.
But in Kenya, the celebrations didn’t catch as much public attention as an incident that took place on Wangari Mathai Road, Nairobi around the same time.
The action by some boda boda riders to molest a female motorist could not have happened at a worse time. It was a demonstration of the challenges that women still face despite the progressive nature of the constitutional and legal framework on gender equality in the country.
Whatever grouse the boda boda riders may have had, it is uncouth, barbaric, unacceptable and criminal to assault a woman as they did. It is a demonstration of the lack of respect for women and a patriarchal culture that must be both condemned and rooted out from society.
Every human being is entitled to basic dignity and privacy of their body. Actions such as the one by the riders offends this principle, which is not only enshrined in our laws but is also part of international standards.
Kenya is a signatory to several international instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, that clearly demonstrate the country’s commitment to gender equality.
The behaviour by the riders is not an isolated one. It is recognised that the sector is unruly. Many motorists will tell you that if you are involved in an accident with a boda boda, it does not matter who is on the wrong — they will group and surround your car, block your way and harass you.
The scale of their actions may differ but violation of your privacy and property will be a given. This culture is symptomatic of the sector. It requires to be rooted out.
The action by the government must be seen in this context. By ordering a crackdown on the sector, the President was demonstrating the national disgust with this boda boda culture. It cannot be our national standard to have a sector which is abrasive and takes the law into its own hands.
In addressing the culture, two things must be avoided though. First is to look down upon and crush the sector as whole. The boda boda sector is an important part of our national economy. It employs a large population of the country, especially the youth.
In a country where there is a high rate of unemployment, the sector brings in much needed relief to many families who rely on income from it for their livelihoods. It is important that the sector is nurtured.
The response to the unfortunate and criminal event may, however, look as if it was going overboard, focusing on eradication of the sector as opposed to the culture.
The second problem is the reactive and short-term nature of responses to issues by the government. Watching news a few days ago, a representative of the national government indicated not only that there would be fresh guidelines on the operations of the sector but also fresh registration.
A few years ago, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior made the same pronouncement. Nothing much was heard of the directive until this latest incident. This is not the way to address public policy issues.
In addition, the transport policy needs to be addressed. It would ne useful if the new policy, reportedly under review, addresses the question of orderly transportation within the country. The rise of the boda boda sector was in response to the unreliability of public transport across the country.
There are places where boda bodas are the only means of transport. Years down the road you cannot unwind the clock and get rid of them, but the transport policy can ensure that they operate in an orderly manner, including having designated lanes for them.
This way we can get rid of the boda boda culture while retaining the sector.
