Nairobi County bodaboda operators have strongly opposed the appointment of former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko as the national patron of the bodaboda and tuktuk operators.
In a statement, Denis Ochieng, who represented the county bodaboda riders, said that the Nairobi bodaboda fraternity recognises and endorses Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja as their patron.
According to Ochieng, the Nairobi bodaboda operators were not part of the group that endorsed Sonko as their patron.
"We are here today to state categorically that we are not part of the imposters seen on 16 March 2025 on social media, alleging that they have endorsed the former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko as the bodaboda patron on behalf of the bodaboda fraternity," he said.
According to Ochieng, selecting Sonko for the position was a "mere mockery" of the bodaboda fraternity.
The operators further questioned Sonko's ability to effectively steer the docket, stressing that he had been unable to attend to the needs of bodaboda riders in the city during his tenure as governor.
"We are here today to inform the county and the country at large that we support Governor Johnson Sakaja as our legitimate patron and governor until 2022," he said.
Sonko was elected as the national patron of the Boda Boda and Tuk Tuk Transport Cooperative Union on Sunday, March 16.
The union, which brings together bodaboda and TukTuk operators in the country, boasts a membership of over 2.5 million individuals.
In a statement on his social media account, Sonko welcomed the move and commented that he was ready to assume the role.
"Yesterday, I had the distinct honor of being unanimously elected as the Patron of the Boda Boda and Tuk Tuk Transport Cooperative Union of Kenya nationally," he stated.
As the Patron, Sonko will have the responsibility of engaging with the national government and all its ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) on behalf of the bodaboda fraternity.
