Kenneth Onyango the Chairman of the Kenya National Boda Boda Association on Wednesday disclosed a phone call from Adamson Bungei, who is reported to have been reassigned from the Nairobi police boss position.
Speaking during a media interview, Onyango revealed that Bungei called him on Tuesday while protests were ongoing in the city. He added that the law enforcement bigwig requested him to rally his people out of the Central Business District (CBD).
Onyango added that Bungei complained that some boda riders in the capital were becoming rowdy causing chaos in the city. The Chairman noted that some of the association members were participating in the demonstrations but were not rowdy.
"Yesterday we were in town and I got a call from Bungei at around 11.06 am and he told me 'Ken if your people continue with this behaviour we will flush them out of town'," he stated.
"I told him those were not our members, those were people who went and bought motorcycles and are stealing from Kenyans. We are in business and police should deal with all those masquerading as legitimate business owners," he added.
However, the Chairperson dismissed the claims that riders were among the goons causing chaos during the anti-government protests.
He told Bungei that he had witnessed a group of about 200 boda boda riders coming to town from Valley Road. He revealed that this group was attacking peaceful protestors and stealing their belongings.
According to Onyango, some of these riders got into the capital and were among those breaking into shops, vandalising property and stealing from other protestors. He urged the police boss not to generalise boda riders.
"We have been in the protests, ferrying protestors from one place to another and we have never been rowdy," he emphasised.
Protests on Tuesday turned chaotic not only in Nairobi but in other cities across the country, some blocked roads with burning tyres while some threw stones at police officers. In Nairobi, protestors raided a popular supermarket near a bus station, looting household items among other items.
In Mombasa, property was also destroyed with some protestors burning parked vehicles and breaking into shops in the CBD. Additionally, others were injured after gunshots were fired by a private citizen.
Following yesterday's unrest, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki issued a stern warning to all gangs masquerading as peaceful protestors causing chaos in different parts of the country.
"Security agencies remain alert to intercept and thwart harm to the public and attempt to attack critical infrastructure and the emblems of our sovereignty," he stated.
