• Boda boda operators in Kenya can now obtain full licenses to provide services on the country’s roads for a charge of KSh 100 when transporting passengers.
• Following collaboration between transportation industry participants, they united in initiatives aimed at decreasing road accidents, which predominantly involve motorcycles.
• Many fatalities on Kenyan roads can be blamed on the majority of boda boda riders not having adequate knowledge of road safety guidelines.

Bonface Kanyamwaya, who works as a journalist for Sport.Bangjo.co.id.co.ke, possesses over ten years of experience in finance, economics, business, markets, and aviation. He offers valuable perspectives on both Kenyan and international developments.

Boda boda operators in Kenya can now obtain full licenses to operate and transport passengers on main roads by paying KSh 100 per day.

Following collaboration among transportation industry participants, they united to decrease accidents affecting motorcycle drivers and their passengers.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) reports indicate that Kenya has been witnessing a significant rise in road deaths, largely attributed to accidents involving motorcycles.

Many of these fatalities and incidents occur because most boda boda riders lack proper understanding of road safety guidelines and often do not possess valid driver’s licenses.

The Automobile Association of Kenya along with NTSA has introduced an initiative called "Licence na Mia" which considerably reduces the expense of training motorcycle operators in areas such as riding skills, road safety, defensive driving techniques, and emergency responses. This program aims to decrease road accidents as a proactive step.

Included in the National Road Safety Action Plan for 2024-2028, this program seeks to train and license at least one million boda boda riders who currently operate without permits throughout Kenya’s roadways.

Sport.Bangjo.co.id.co.ke recognizes that a minimum of 500 participants who joined the program and agreed to pay KSh 100 daily for 61 days have finished their training and obtained licenses successfully.

Most boda boda riders are young men fresh out of high school. They enter the transportation industry informally via peer-to-peer training and often operate without the necessary driving licenses, thereby raising the likelihood of preventable traffic accidents, according to AA CEO Francis Theuri.

He revealed that the steep price of becoming compliant had led young riders to avoid driving schools and other road safety programs.

A majority of individuals opt to pay bribes of either KSh 50 or KSh 100 to local officials for avoiding compliance, thereby fueling the rampant issue of corruption.

Theuri pointed out that instead of endangering themselves by working on our roads without proper safety training, it would be more beneficial to provide them with the chance to pay KSh 100 each day for training. This way, within 61 days, they will become compliant, ensuring road safety and preventing harassment from law enforcement.

Expensive training for motorcycle taxi drivers

Motorcycle riders require KSh 8,000 for training and KSh 2,450 for NTSA training and licensing, totaling a sum that many have found to be quite expensive.

In reaction to the challenge, AA has reduced the subsidy for training from KSh 8,000 to KSh 3,000.

Riders can opt to pay the KSh 3000 fee along with the 2,450 NTSA charges via daily installments of KSh 100.

Theuri revealed that 2,000 boda boda riders participating in the program will complete their training and obtain licenses on March 28, 2025.

The graduates will be awarded helmets, certificates, and reflective jackets during the ceremony.

What was the number of boda bodas registered in 2023?

The economic report released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) in 2024 indicated a decrease of 3.1% in the boda boda and motor vehicle sector during the prior year.

In 2023, the count of newly registered cars and motorcycles dropped by 16.7%, totaling 195,656 units.