CS Matiang’i will pay a fee for Boda Boda Rider who gave him a KICC rating

Home Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i decided to help a Boda Boda runner who delivered a heartfelt note to him at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) on Wednesday, March 9.

In a notice published in a local daily on Sunday March 13, Matiang’i explained that he was leaving the protest when the Boda Boda Cavalier, who is a college student, passed him the note detailing his tribulations.

He explained that he was an orphan and that he depended on the income of Boda Boda rider to pay his university fees.

Initially, he had been sponsored since high school, but his sponsor went through financial headwinds in 2020 after the pandemic hit the country, wiping out people’s livelihoods.

An undated photo of boda boda riders in Nairobi.

Twitter

“He detailed his tribulations. He’s an orphaned college student. A scholarship got him through high school and the early college years.

“But Covid-19 restrictions forced his sponsor’s business to shut down and so he risked giving up,” Matiangi said. Sunday Nation.

He noted that he got into the motorcycle business to complete his education, but has since found himself with huge backlog of fees, which weighs heavily on him.

“However, working as an employee Boda Boda rider, he was able to save some money to continue his studies, thanks to his arrears of expenses.

“His thirst for education waters his indomitable spirit, ride after ride. My family and I intend to do something about his situation,” Matiang’i added.

In the article, the CS noted that the runner was among 2.4 million Kenyans who engaged in trade to put food on the table.

The industry has since exploded to Ksh 1.2 billion in daily revenue from an average of 22 million trips across the country.

There was, however, an outcry from runners and the public after the government launched a nationwide crackdown on Boda Boda operators following an incident in which a woman was attacked by rowdy motorcyclists along Prof Wangari Maathai Road, formerly Forest Road in Nairobi.

A cross section of politicians also argued that it was unfair to condemn millions of land crash operators as their sole source of income due to a few elements tarnishing the image of boda boda riders.

Following the uproar, the government suspended a nationwide crackdown on Saturday March 12, but Matiang’i insists the sector must be streamlined to move forward.

For example, all operators will need to have a smart driver’s license from a recognized driving school in the country and undergo professional training.