'We're not criminals!’ Boda boda operators reject controversial Khalwale bill

Boda boda operators have strongly opposed the proposed law aimed at regulating the motorcycle transport sector, warning that if passed, it will devastate livelihoods and disrupt one of Kenya’s most crucial economic engines.

Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Infrastructure on Thursday, the Boda Boda Safety Association of Kenya (BAK) dismissed the Public Transport (Motorcycle Regulation) Bill as punitive, exploitative, and detached from the realities of thousands of riders who hustle daily to survive.

The Bill, sponsored by Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, proposes sweeping changes in the sector, including the formation of 47 county motorcycle safety boards, mandatory SACCO membership for all riders, and a requirement that motorcycles be fitted with GPS trackers.

“This Bill doesn’t bring safety—it brings suffering. It doesn't protect livelihoods—it threatens to wipe them out. This Bill isn’t fixing anything. It's a solution in search of a problem—and it risks undoing years of progress by burying riders under red tape, fees, and fear,” BAK President Kevin Mubadi told lawmakers.

“The boda boda sector is not a threat. We are not criminals. We are fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters. We are job creators and community builders. This Bill is a betrayal of our efforts, our struggles, and our contribution to the economy."

BAK says the proposed measures are both duplicative and oppressive—pointing out that a national oversight body, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), already exists.

“Why are we being asked to register again, to pay again, to verify again? This is not a regulation. This is punishment. It's taking the little we earn and giving it to bureaucrats and cartels," Mubadi noted.

The association also took issue with clauses mandating formal employment contracts between riders and motorcycle owners, and limiting the weight of carried loads to 50 kilograms.

BAK warned that such a limit would hurt small-scale farmers and rural communities who rely on boda bodas to access markets.

“A sack of maize weighs more than 90kg. This law would criminalise the transport of food. It would harm farmers, kill small businesses, and starve rural Kenya,” the association boss warned.

On the mandatory SACCO membership, BAK said that while they support organised transport, riders must be allowed the freedom to choose.

“We are not against organisation—but it must be voluntary, not forced. This is how cartels begin. This is how dreams are killed,” said Mubadi.

BAK further criticised the Bill’s GPS and uniform provisions, arguing they would drive up operational costs and benefit politically connected suppliers at the expense of struggling riders.

“We are barely surviving as it is. Now you want to make us pay for trackers, for coloured jackets, for registration twice over, for approvals we don’t need? This is not regulation—it is exploitation wearing the mask of policy,” Mubadi said.

The association said devolving regulation exclusively to counties risks creating confusion and inconsistent enforcement, contradicting the NTSA Act.

It is now calling for Parliament to suspend the Bill and initiate a stakeholder-driven review of existing laws, including the Traffic and NTSA Acts.