Boda boda riders in Nairobi to be assigned different colours for ease of identification

Members of the Riders New Vision Success boda boda group. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Boda boda operators from the 17 sub-counties in Nairobi will have to put on reflectors jackets with a distinctive colour for ease of identification, Nairobi Governor Ann Kananu has said.

Kananu also gave an executive order for petty (boda boda) offenders currently held in various police cells in the county to be released unconditionally.

“I have given an executive order for petty offenders with proper documentation to be released,” said Kananu.

The Governor was speaking at City Hall earlier today after a fruitful meeting with a section of Nairobi boda boda operators.

Governor Kananu said they agreed to have all Nairobi boda boda riders register into a Sacco, just like Public Service Vehicles (PSV).

The Sacco will then be grouped into sub-counties with each sub-county assigned a specific colour code.

“We are going to give each Sub-County a different colour for easy of identification,” said Kananu adding that “this will help us know, for example, know who operates from the CBD, Kibra or even Roysambu,” explained Kananu.

Boda boda operators, however, were told to keep off from the Central Business District (CBD) until further notice.

“We have agreed, for now, that they keep off from the CBD until they can prove to us (county government) that they (boda boda) are going to be organised.”

Kananu added that the county government is exploring other options, including a benchmarking trip to Rwanda to learn how to bring order in the chaotic but critical transport sector.

Boda boda operators have been given one week to put in place a committee that will work in executing the latest directives.

“This will help us differentiate between genuine boda boda operators and thugs who are masquerading as riders. They have assured us to identify those people and report them to the security forces,” she said. 

The committee will be reporting to the governor once a week.

The proposed reforms come against the backdrop of a nationwide outcry after a section of boda boda operators who stripped a female motorist for knocking down a rider along Wangari Maathai Road.