Machakos boda boda operators' challenges cannot be solved by one office or one crackdown, philanthropist and Machakos Woman Representative aspirant Captain Irene Ndanu has said.
Speaking during a meeting with riders in Athi River, Mavoko Constituency on Thursday, Ndanu said the sector needs a multi-sectoral approach bringing together riders, county government, national government, security agencies, health insurers and financial institutions.
"Today, we are here in Mavoko for a bodaboda initiative which is starting today. We are familiarizing with bodaboda riders through their chairmen from stage to stage in all wards within the sub-county; Athi River, Mlolongo, Kinanie and Muthwani wards," Ndanu said.
Ndanu, who arrived at the meeting wearing a helmet and a reflector vest branded with her name, said she was traversing the county familiarising herself with riders and their real challenges, not just to seek votes.
She said the meetings were meant to understand the riders and their challenges, as well as what they expect from her.
The philanthropist said she was also sensitising the boda boda riders on the roles and responsibilities of various institutions, including government offices and political leaders such as the Woman Representative.
"The program will address safety and work with security forces in Machakos, and also look into health issues affecting riders and their families," she said.
She questioned what happens when a rider is injured on duty.
"What happens when a rider is injured? Do they have insurance? Who takes care of their family when they cannot work? These are the questions we must answer if we are serious about this sector," she said.
Ndanu said most riders are young men who are the sole breadwinners for their families, yet they operate without medical cover, without social protection, and with little training on road safety.
She said the empowerment initiative will work through stage chairmen, to ensure it reaches genuine operators and is not hijacked by brokers.
"The goal is to improve their livelihoods rather than just seek votes. We will work stage to stage through their chairman," she said.
The riders, who turned up in matching yellow vests and rode in a convoy through Mavoko town, raised concerns over harassment, high cost of fuel and spare parts, lack of designated stages, insecurity at night, and lack of access to affordable loans to own motorcycles.
Ndanu said safety must be handled jointly by NTSA, police and county askaris, while health and insurance require partnerships with SHA, insurers and SACCOs. Financial literacy and entrepreneurship training, she added, would help riders move from daily survival to owning assets and starting other businesses.
"Football is not just a 90-minute game. It teaches discipline, builds teamwork and creates economic opportunities," she has previously said about her youth programmes, adding that the same discipline is needed in the boda boda sector.
Ndanu, a commercial pilot who spent 22 years in aviation, has in recent months rolled out youth empowerment programmes in Machakos, including the Captain Irene Ndanu Soccer Summit involving 480 teams and over 9,600 players, and Glam on Wheels vocational training for 800 youth.
She told the riders that the boda boda sector, if well organised, can be a source of decent jobs and not a source of crime.
Mlolongo – Syokimau Bodaboda Association chairman Alex Mutuku said the majority of riders cannot afford medical covers despite being exposed to dangers on the roads.
Mutuku said the majority of riders are on loans, and the motorbikes belong to creditors.
"They need financial empowerment. The driving licence for motorbikes is expensive for our riders in relation to how much they earn in a day. The road network generally, especially here in Mavoko, is in bad condition, contributing to regular breakdown of motorbikes, therefore anything small earned by riders ends up buying spares and repairs," Mutuku said.
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