BODA BODA ASSOCIATION DEMANDS APOLOGY FROM MAKAU MUTUA OVER BAN REMARKS

The Boda Boda Safety Association of Kenya (BAK) has condemned remarks made by legal scholar and government advisor Prof. Makau Mutua calling for a ban on boda bodas in Kenya’s urban areas, terming the statements discriminatory, reckless, and harmful to millions of livelihoods.

In an official statement released on Thursday evening , BAK demanded that Prof. Mutua retract his comments and issue a public apology, warning that such sentiments go against the spirit of inclusion and economic empowerment espoused in 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,” the statement read in part. “Such remarks are not only reckless but deeply inconsiderate coming from a leader associated with a government that champions the Bottom-Up agenda, a model that places the common mwananchi at the centre of economic growth.”

The association highlighted that the boda boda sector supports more than 2 million Kenyan households, providing income for food, school fees, healthcare, and daily sustenance. BAK argued that generalising the sector as chaotic or illegal overlooks the vital role it plays in job creation and local economic development, particularly among the youth and informal workers.

While acknowledging that the industry faces challenges related to safety, order, and regulation, the association maintained that reforms should be pursued through structured engagement, investment in training, and sound policy, not blanket bans.

“We urge all leaders, especially those in government, to uphold the principles of inclusion and empowerment, and to work with us toward solutions that uplift, not marginalize, this vital sector of our economy,” BAK said.