President William Ruto's Constitutional Affairs Advisor, Makau Mutua, has fired back at the Boda Boda Safety Association of Kenya (BAK) for demanding an apology after he suggested banning boda bodas from major cities and towns.
In a statement on Friday, July 18, Mutua said he has no apologies to make to the association, arguing that the boda boda sector has become lawless and poses danger to the lives of Kenyans.
“I have no apologies to make, or statement to withdraw. You have become a lawless industry, your riders endanger lives going in the opposite direction; carrying even up to four passengers at high speeds, including children; moving without helmets for you and your passengers; causing accidents everywhere and fleeing the scene or attacking those you collide with; and breaking every known traffic rule,” said Mutua.
He also mentioned that most boda boda operators are unlicensed and have no insurance coverage.
Mutua further said no modern city or town should allow ‘mayhem and chaos’ from boda boda operators.
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“We shouldn’t live by the law of the jungle on our roads. Kenya is a constitutional democracy. You must live within the ambit of our constitution and laws, which you blatantly flout as though you are a law unto yourselves,” Mutua added.
On Friday morning, BAK demanded an apology from Mutua, describing his remarks on banning boda bodas as reckless and inconsiderate.
The association pointed out that Makau's remarks contradicted the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
"We strongly condemn the recent statement by Prof. Makau Mutua on his social media platforms calling for the banning of all boda bodas from Kenya’s cities and towns.
"Such remarks are not only reckless but deeply inconsiderate coming from a leader associated with a government that champions the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) — a model that places the common mwananchi at the center of economic growth,” the statement read.
BAK also stated that the sector is not just a transport option, but an economic pillar for millions of Kenyan households, especially among the youth.
