The Mombasa County Government has intensified efforts to improve road safety after revealing that 30 boda boda riders and passengers lost their lives in road crashes last year, while 220 others suffered critical injuries.
County Executive Committee Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Governance Daniel Manyala said the county also spent approximately KSh45 million treating boda boda crash victims in public health facilities, describing the figures as alarming.
Speaking during the issuance of driving licences and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) certificates to 1,300 boda boda riders at Tononoka Grounds, Manyala said inadequate training and unlicensed riding remain major challenges within the sector.
He disclosed that nearly 8,000 boda boda operators in Mombasa are still riding without valid driving licences despite the industry’s growing contribution to the local economy.
“Mombasa has about 30,000 boda boda operators who contribute nearly KSh25 million to the county’s economy every day. It is therefore important that we invest in their safety and professional development,” he said.
Governor Abdullswamad Sheriff Nassir described the licensing exercise as the beginning of a broader programme to professionalise the transport sector, saying the county had already received about 3,000 names for training.
He said the initiative would be implemented in phases before being extended to motorcycle delivery riders, matatu crews and tuk-tuk operators.
“This is phase one. We have about 3,000 names, but no college can take all of you at once. We will continue training until everyone is covered,” the governor said.
Nassir also announced plans to establish revolving funds to support boda boda operators and engage financial institutions on affordable motorcycle financing, saying many riders continue to struggle with expensive loan repayment terms.
To strengthen regulation within the sector, the governor appointed six boda boda riders to the county inspectorate and donated 13 motorcycles to boda boda groups, saying the bikes were purchased using his personal resources together with support from friends.
He urged riders to embrace professionalism, obey traffic rules and continue building the sector through honest work, noting that the county would continue investing in training and empowerment programmes aimed at making boda boda transport safer and more sustainable.
