President William Ruto’s senior advisor on constitutional affairs, Prof. Makau Mutua, has once again called for an immediate ban on boda boda operations in Kenya’s urban centres. His remarks follow a tragic incident in Donholm, Nairobi, where a bus was set ablaze by a mob after a fatal accident involving a boda boda rider.
According to police reports, the public service vehicle hit and killed a boda boda rider. In response, a group believed to be fellow riders attacked the bus, setting it on fire after passengers and crew had safely disembarked. By the time police arrived, the bus was engulfed in flames and the mob had fled.
In a strongly worded statement shared on Thursday, Mutua condemned the actions of the boda boda operators, describing them as lawless and dangerous.
“I’ve repeatedly warned the nation about the existential threat of the boda boda industry, which has run amok. Here, in an orgy of violence, they collectively torch a bus after it allegedly hit one of their number. We must ban boda boda pronto!” Mutua stated.
He further criticized the disorder associated with boda boda operations, noting that no modern city should tolerate what he termed as “chaos, illegality, terrible aesthetics and indiscipline on its roads.”
However, his remarks were met with strong opposition from the Boda Boda Association of Kenya (BAK), which accused Mutua of undermining a vital economic lifeline for millions of Kenyans.
“Such remarks are not only reckless but deeply inconsiderate, coming from a leader associated with a government that champions the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA),” BAK said in a statement.
The association defended the sector, emphasizing that it supports over two million families and plays a crucial role in transportation, especially in areas underserved by formal public transit.
While the Donholm incident highlights growing safety and law enforcement concerns, the debate over how to regulate the boda boda sector remains deeply contentious. It raises key questions about balancing public safety with economic inclusion in Kenya’s rapidly urbanizing cities.
