On Friday, May 12, a section of motorists exposed a new scheme targeting riders obtaining motorbikes on credit from different companies.
Aggrieved motorists lamented losing their motorbikes a day or two after clearing loans amounting to over Ksh250,000 each in a series of personal narrations.
Victims shared receipts, payment messages and bank statements to show how uncanny their predicaments coincided with the timelines they took to clear credits.
The riders, most of who acquired the motorcycle for business, noted that their respective lenders did not help them track the stolen bikes despite having advanced tracking devices.
In one case that triggered the exposé, a Nairobi-based motorist indicated that he paid a Ksh15,000 deposit to receive a bike on credit. He then started paying the balance in installments.
After 390 days, he cleared the balance and obtained all the motorbike details. However, less than 12 hours after clearing the loan, his motorbike was stolen.
The motorist immediately informed the company that gave him the bike on credit to track it because they had helped him track it when it went missing during the loan payment period.
The company, however, directed him to report the matter to a nearby police station, which he obliged. However, the company was not able to track the motorbike on time.
"Around December, I gave out the motorbike to a rider who decided to play smart. He disappeared with it, and I did the same process they ask you when you report a missing bike," the motorist narrated.
He added, "Within two hours, they had called me back and told me the tracker indicated that the bike was in Nakuru and later on, it was in Siaya. Their emergency team helped me track it, and I finally got hold of the rider."
He, as a result, accused the company of working in cahoots with individuals who disappeared with his motorbike.
Following a series of similar schemes targeting boda boda riders who obtain bikes on credit, several people called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigation to probe the cases.
Kileleshwa Member of Parliament Robert Alai noted that he had received numerous complaints imploring the law enforcement officers to crack down on the perpetrators.
Activist Boniface Mwangi also asked DCI to open an inquiry into the scheme targeting riders who finish paying their credit.
On Sunday, April 9, the Kwale Boda Boda Association raised the alarm over cases of their members losing bikes and property.
Ukunda, Lunga Lunga, Mwaluphamba, Burani, Mkongani and Shimba Hills were among the areas listed as red zones by the association. They thus called on DCI to reign in to restore sanity in the sector.
To address some of the challenges, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) introduced new generation number plates for motorbikes with traceable features.
