The day President Uhuru Kenyatta came face to face with a gang of lawless bodaboda riders leaving him in shock

On this day President Uhuru Kenyatta came face to face with the unruly nature of boda bodas. There were more than 5,000 riders who came to meet him in Kisii.

He had a noble idea for them: That they form a group and formalise their investment through a rural sacco owned and run by them.

To start off, he offered Sh10 million seed money for the sacco.

However, the President, who was flanked by former PM Raila Odinga and then Interior CS Fred Matiang’i was shocked by the response from the riders who flatly rejected his proposal.

Living up to their bad reputation, the young men told Mr Kenyatta to his face that they wanted the money to share out among themselves.  

Their demand to be given the cash, instead of it being put in their sacco for long term investments, left many – including the President – shocked.  

And as if to teach them a lesson, he cut the offer from Sh10 million to Sh3 million, promising to increase it once they were organised.

“You have shocked me. But please ensure you call me once you get organised and I will be available to fulfil my promise of supporting you to invest through your sacco. For now, I will give you the lesser amount, Sh3 million, which you will share amongst yourselves,” said President Kenyatta.  

It was a classic portrayal of defiance, lawlessness, ignorance and greed as the riders shot down the President’s proposal.

The boda boda riders would later share the money in chaotic scenes, with some claiming that their leaders had shortchanged them.

The event was also attended by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The Kisii incident, while it appears isolated, however, tells a bigger story of the state of affairs of the country’s boda boda business.

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