Kenneth Onyango, the Chairman of the Kenya National Boda Boda Association, on Wednesday, June 14, outlined a list of demands that the government should meet before the group's members embrace electric motorbikes.
While acknowledging the initiative by President William Ruto as a step in the right direction, Onyango noted that over 300,000 members of the association were concerned about the cost and safety of the electric boda bodas.
According to the chairman, the government should conduct public participation and civic education in order to enlighten riders on the benefits of the new initiative rather than assuming that everyone understood the merits.
"Recently, President William Ruto told us that the country will be shifting from fuel-powered bikes to electric ones. That is a good idea but only if he will assure of us three things.
"The first is to make the motorbikes zero-rated so that we may get them at a cheaper cost, especially, for the commercial boda boda riders," he demanded.
The association also wanted the government to explain the various safety features on the electric automobiles for the rider's safety or in the event of a crash.
The chairman noted that hundreds of riders had been killed in tragic road crashes exacerbated by poor safety gears and features in the fuel-powered motorcycles.
"We need to know the safety measures for the bikes. We do not want a case where you are riding a motorbike and then you get electrocuted when it rains. It's important to understand safety measures in motorbikes," he added.
Onyango also asked the Head of State to ensure that the new electric motorbikes will come with an efficient power supply, especially, the distribution of batteries that are used to run the bikes.
"It is also important for the government to consider installing so many charging stations across the country so that instead of spending so many hours charging the batteries, it should take around five minutes to exchange batteries," he noted.
On June 1, 2023, during Madaraka Day celebrations in Embu County, President William Ruto announced plans to provide electric bikes to boda boda riders.
Ruto stated that the government would provide the bikes through a financing scheme making them affordable for boda boda riders.
He also noted that the bikes would be more environmentally friendly than petrol-powered bikes.
The announcement was initially welcomed by boda boda riders struggling with the high cost of fuel. They stated that the electric bikes would help them save money and reduce their carbon footprint.
The government has not yet released any details about the financing scheme or the type of electric bikes that will be provided. However, the announcement is a positive step for the boda boda sector and for the environment.
