Over 60 Boda Boda Riders Arrested as Governor Mike Sonko Moves to Decongest CBD

Boda boda operators were on Monday arrested when found operating inside the Central Business District.

Nairobi County officers arrested 60 riders in the town centre for flouting traffic rules.

In the new set of rules developed by the County administration in conjunction with the boda-boda association, the riders' operations have been limited to the outskirts of the CBD. 

They are not to operate past Railways bus station, globe cinema roundabout, OTC stage and Uhuru Park and instead, the riders can only access Kirinyaga Road, University Way, Uhuru Highway, Haile Sellasie and Race Course Road.

[caption caption="Boda boda operators in the CBD"][/caption]

City Hall’s director of operations Peter Mbaya indicated that both the rider and the pillion passenger will be arrested if found operating in the CBD and each charged Ksh50, 000 at the city court.

According to the new rules, riders are required to have licences and identification badges and wear branded reflective jackets bearing their membership numbers. They are also required to carry only one passenger, to stay off pavements, stop at traffic lights, insure their motorcycles and adhere to all other rules.

Boda boda riders will also not be stopped by uniformed officers unless these officers are in the company of their uniformed colleagues. 

However, despite the arrests of the riders and tough talk from City Hall, matatu operators are yet to comply with the recent ban and directive dictating that only two vehicles per Sacco will be allowed into city stages. 

On Monday, the mode of operation in all city stages, except for a few, were still congested with matatus scrambling for passengers as usual.

[caption caption="Boda boda riders in the CBD"][/caption]

A driver argued that the idea of two vehicles per Sacco at the stage was impractical because for that to work, there must be clearly built and gazetted holding points.

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