Kenyan MPs to Travel to Thailand for Boda-Boda Benchmarking Trip

A group of Kenyan MPs are planning to visit Thailand for a benchmarking trip on how to combat the rising insecurity in the boda-boda sector.

The trip is meant to help the MPs drawn from the National Assembly’s Security and Administration Committee to learn ways of bringing sanity in the industry that has employed thousands of Kenyan youth. 

Kiambaa MP Paul Koinange, who is the chairman of the committee, said they settled on Thailand because the Southeast Asian nation has managed to effectively control the sector despite having more boda-bodas than Kenya.

“My committee is planning to travel to Thailand to also learn more, benchmark about boda-boda because places like Thailand they have more motorbikes,” Koinange said.

Koinange said plans are underway to roll out a program aimed at addressing the rising road safety challenges caused by boda-bodas. Over 1.6 million licenses have been issued to boda-boda operators in Kenya since 2019.

A recent government report noted that the boda-boda sector is being used by criminals to advance their activities. 

“Like the matatu industry that at one time was infiltrated by lethal gangs like Mungiki, there is fear that boda-bodas could be heading the matatu route if adequate policy interventions are not implemented in good time,” the report says.