A boda boda rider from Kahawa Wendani Kiambu County was left stranded after he was arrested and his motorcycle confiscated by the police for having a fake number plate.
According to the rider, he bought the boda through a creditor in March and had already paid Ksh104,000.
However, while at work, he was arrested by police officers and when he was interrogated, it was discovered that there were two motorcycles registered under the same number plate. His attempts to explain the matter to the officials were futile.
When he went to the creditors, the man complained that he was taken in circles for weeks before they told him the best they could do was change the number plate.
He added that earlier, he had attempted to apply for delivery jobs but his boda did not appear on the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) online platform.
When confronted, the organisation failed to answer the questions from the rider and activist Derrick Mbugua. They also laughed off the accusations smiling as the rider followed proceedings helplessly.
As the drama unfolded, the rider was left confused by the solution offered raising questions on whether they knew about the number plates when they sold the bike to him. The victim was also left in limbo as to whether to repay the remaining Ksh70,000 or demand the Ksh104,000 back.
"This man was arrested due to the fake number plate on the bike he bought from you. He cannot fend for himself because of you," Mbugua questioned.
In the organisation's offices, there were four agents unbothered by the allegations. Some remained glued to their phones while others attempted to hide their faces.
The premises had several motorbikes all with different number plates which the complainants suspected to be fake. Mbugua opined that some of the bikes may have been stolen.
Kenyans.co.ke reached out to the organisation but did not get a response on the matter.
The incident irked a section of Kenyans who faulted creditors for preying on young men seeking to make a living through the boda business by offering high-interest loans or stealing the motorcycle after the loan was paid.
Early in the year, several Kenyans came forward to expose another creditor offering bikes at high-interest loans and allegedly stealing the motorcycles once the loan had been repaid. The victims complained that they did not receive help from the relevant authorities.
Kenyans called for the investigation and arrest of the agents at the organisation to protect others from falling into the same trap.
