Boda boda operators protest Sh42k ‘illegal’ fine by city fathers
Nairobi Council Council is on the spot over allegations of extortion of boda boda operators by the county askaris.
The agitated motorcyclists took to the streets and marched to the county offices to complain of how badly they were being treated and harassed.
They gathered at the entrance of the office blowing whistles and shouting for the governor to hear their plea.
“We have come here today to tell our governor (Mike Sonko) of the harassment his askaris are subjecting to us. We want it to stop,” Thomas Lesatin, the boda boda chairman told Nairobi News.
They pointed fingers at a senior female county officials whom they accused of being the force behind their sufferings.
“Madam is to blame for our troubles. She has a lorry that confiscates our motorcycles and lock them in a yard even when we use the roads assigned to us by the county,” Nicholas Njane, a boda boda operator said.
SH2,000
The motorcyclists claimed that the county askaris impound their motorcycles for 21 days and force them to pay Sh2,000 daily storage fee until their motorcycles are released.
“We know our rights. There is nowhere in the constitution written that motorcycles should be held for 21 days when impounded” a protestor said.
Following running battles between the boda boda operators and the county askaris earlier in the year, the governor ordered that all the motorcycles held at various centres in the city be released.
The boda boda operators were then assigned four major roads: Haile Selassie avenue, Uhuru Highway. University way and Kirinyaga road.
Details emerging showed that the county askaris still arrest them on these roads and they are later fined.
Mr Lesatin said that they had drafted a letter to the majority leader of the county assembly to have the house file a motion to remove the senior official from office.
Attempts to reach the senior officials were futile as calls to her phone went unanswered.