Kisumu County Governor Anyang Nyong'o has frozen the operations of the bodaboda rider organisations in Kisumu County.
In a statement released on Monday, April 7, the governor declared that in the wake of two murders in the county, he had been forced to take measures to tame the industry.
"Two days ago, the county woke up to very sad and disturbing news of senseless murders of two people, perpetrated by criminals masquerading as members of Kisumu County Bodaboda Community-Based Organisation (CBO).
There is a clear indication that the boda boda sector has been hijacked by external forces to carry out criminal activities," the statement reads in part.
The governor directed the County Director of Social Development to deregister all the bodaboda CBOs, Saccos, and associations within the county effective immediately.
He further directed that all bank accounts held in the names of those Saccos be frozen until a new structure of the sector was organised.
Nyong'o further directed that the County Director of Social Development informs all banks in the region of the decision to suspend transactions of all bodaboda CBO accounts.
The governor also directed county officials to formulate a new structure fo the bodaboda sector and organise and foresee elections of the new sector structure in accordance with the County Transport Act.
To enforce the directive, the government decreed that all registration certificates issued with respect to the CBO be surrendered to the County Director of Social Development by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7.
Nyong'o warned that the government was keeping a keen eye and would not fail to arrest and prosecute any bodaboda riders caught flouting the laid-down traffic laws.
He further urged the police to expedite the investigations into the murder trials and to ensure that the criminals were brought to book.
"I also want to take this opportunity to commend bodaboda operators who are law-abiding and continue to cooperate with the authorities in ensuring that this sector is managed in accordance with the county and the national government laws," he concluded.
