DP Ruto asks bodaboda riders to collect their seized motorcycles from police stations

Deputy President William Ruto has asked the bodaboda operators whose motorcycles were confiscated during the countrywide crackdown to collect them from police stations.

Speaking during a campaign rally at Ngara market in Nairobi on Wednesday, the deputy president criticised the government over the recent operation that saw hundreds of motorcycles impounded saying it was retrogressive for the riders.

The DP termed the riders as ordinary Kenyans, ‘hustlers’ who were out there to earn honest incomes to support their livelihoods.

“Wale bodaboda operators wote walinyang’anywa pikipiki zao na wakalipishwa pesa ambayo si halali. Waende wachukue pikipiki zao kutoka police station na warudishiwe pesa yao kwa sababu ni wafanyibiashara ambao wanafanya biashara halali,” Ruto said.

In his defence of the bodaboda sector, DP Ruto recalled the Forest Road incident where a woman was sexually assaulted by bodaboda riders arguing that a section of offenders should not be used to victimize the whole sector.

He outrightly stated that the offenders should be singled out to face the law without victimizing the whole sector.

“Wahalifu ni watu ambao wanavunja sheria; wale walimbaka mama pale Forest Road, hawa ni wahalifu. Washikwe na polisi waadhibiwe na wakutane na sheria,  lakini wafanyikazi wa bodaboda wasihangaishwe kwa makosa ya watu wahalifu,” he noted.

DP Ruto similarly took a swipe at the government citing preferential clampdown on riders saying that they were being tortured based on social class.

With reference to the KEMSA scandal of 2020 that saw the loss of billions of shillings in the supply of medical equipment, Ruto said since the scandal revolved around top government officials, convictions were not made and the State was being discriminatory while dealing with the bodaboda sector.

“Bodaboda ni biashara si uhalifu…Tusifanye biashara halali ikawa ni biashara haramu. Wale walifanya kitendo ya kinyama kwa wamama hapa Forest Road ni sawasawa na wale waliiba pesa ya KEMSA,” Ruto said.

“Wahalifu wote wakabiliane na sheria. Vile tunakabiliana na wahahalifu hapa forest road, ata wale waliiba pesa ya KEMSA, waadhibiwe, wachukuliwe hatua za kisheria.”

At the same time, the DP drummed up support for the Kenya Kwanza team ahead of the August polls, urging Kenyans to elect leaders who understand their needs and not what he describes as 'dynasties'.

“Handshake brothers hawajawahi kulala njaa siku moja, hawajawahi kutafuta kazi siku moja, hawaelewi umaskini ni nini. Ndio tukiwaambia tupange ajira ya vijana, hawaelewi ni nini wanasema tubadilishe katiba wagawane vyeo kwanza,” Ruto stated.

“Let us not make a mistake of electing someone who doesn’t understand what hunger means... We must elect a leader who understands the challenges of Kenyans, not the children of privileged.”