Robberies and rape cases on the rise linked to growing boda boda business

Imagine working in a firm in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area as a junior employee who has to attend evening classes at the University of Nairobi’s Chiromo Campus.

One evening, your boss, unaware of your evening studies, keeps you at your desk until the very last minute of your official working time. It happens to be the same day you are sitting for an examination.

So there you are at 5.17pm and your paper starts at 5.30pm. You know that the unsmiling, uncompromising, and mean-spirited lecturer will not let you in class after the exams begin. You can't afford to flunk or miss this exam, it is your final paper and you have to graduate within the year. Traffic is mad and walking is out of question.

Enter the unkempt boda boda operator with a faded reflector jacket donated by some political party during the last elections. He is the only one who can save the situation, by weaving through the snarl-up to deliver you to the university in record time. Of course, he will not be cheap and will charge the equivalent of a ride in a cab! But what options do you have? You have to be in Chiromo. Not even the stinking helmet will hold you back.

This is why boda bodas are in business and remain the preferred mode of transport. It is their flexibility and convenience that attracts passengers.

They provide gainful employment, but are a nuisance to motorists and pedestrians alike.

If you've ever been involved in an accident while straddling one, you will know they are a cause of traumatising memories. But this comes nowhere close the ordeal of those who have allegedly endured the nightmare of robbery or even rape at the hands of boda boda operators.

According to police, the rapidly growing boda boda business is the major cause of fatal accidents on Kenyan roads. Police claim that carelessness by boda boda riders is one of the reasons for the high number of deaths and serious injuries in the country.

A boda boda accident victim, Fred Kirioba, lost his front teeth when he was sent sprawling on the tarmac while using a boda boda. He blames the accident on the rider’s negligence.

Even though the boda boda man promised to foot his medical bill at Kenyatta National Hospital, he went missing as soon as Kirioba walked into the hospital's casualty wing.

But perhaps what is more worrying is the increasing number of reports linking boda boda riders to crime. Apparently, there are numerous cases of passengers finding themselves at the mercy of these operators who turn on their hapless passengers and robbing them of valuables.

Two months ago, a woman was reportedly rescued from a boda boda operator who attempted to rape her. The victim, a grocery shop owner in Riverbank in Kayole was coming from Gikomba market in the early hours of the morning.

It is claimed that on alighting from a number 1961 matatu, as was her routine, she took a boda boda on Spine Road for the final stretch to her Riverbank house. Little did she know she had just set herself up, as the rider allegedly veered off the route and made a beeline for a bush, where he turned on his fare!

“The idiot grabbed the passenger and tried to force himself on her. Luckily, her screams attracted the attention of the public who rescued her from the pest,” said Jane Njeri who revealed that she is a close friend of the victim. Her friend is said to have escaped with a fractured leg in the ensuing scuffle.

According to Njeri, this is not an isolated incident. She claims that some boda boda operators are sex predators, who prey on unsuspecting women passengers.

Her friend was reportedly rushed to Mama Lucy Hospital for treatment as the suspect allegedly fled on foot while his motorbike was destroyed by an angry mob.

Jeremiah Karani, a village elder, says he is not aware of rape cases in the area. He insists the neighbourhood is safe owing to an active neighbourhood watch initiative.

“Maybe it is an isolated incident. Security is very tight here, since residents are quick to respond distress," he added.

Area OCPD Joseph Ndegwa, disclosed that many victims of crime do not lodge complaints with the police. He admitted that they have handled cases of robbery involving some boda boda operators, but none of rape.

“If there are cases of rape, then none have been reported. We only act on formal complaints and unfortunately, anything else will be treated as hearsay,” said the OCPD.

To address insecurity associated with boda bodas, Nairobi police commander Benson Kibue, recently ordered that the motorbikes should not operate after 8pm.

Kibue said police had discovered that many robbery suspects and other crooks use boda bodas to commit crimes.

“We know where the criminals are hiding and we are going after them. Operations of boda bodas should be limited to between 6am and 8pm, because criminals are opting for them to perpetrate felony at odd hours,” said Kibue.