President William Ruto says he has spent Ksh.250 million from his own pocket to support fundraisers for boda boda operators across the country over the last decade.
Speaking at the Kenyatta International Conventional Conference (KICC) in Nairobi while launching the ‘Boda Boda Care’ National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) cover for bodaboda operators, he noted that he recognizes the important role the sector plays in bolstering the nation’s economy and that it requires more support to cement its presence as key contributors.
“I have done about 200 harambees for bodaboda riders and I have used Ksh.250 million of my own money about 8,9,10 years ago. I’m saying this so that you understand the importance of the bodaboda sector,” he said.
The Head of State dismissed claims that boda boda operators are involved in criminal activity, arguing that the few criminal acts committed by boda boda operators should not tarnish the reputation of the many who make a living from the business.
“And if there are any criminals let them be dealt with just as much as other criminals are dealt with. There was a huge conversation of people saying that a few bodaboda criminals who rob someone and use the motorbike to escape and people said that this sector has thieves and I denied so and said this sector is as good as any other sector,” said Ruto.
Dr. Ruto went on to reiterate the government’s plan to roll out electric motorcycles to help reduce reliance on diesel and petrol in the face of rising transportation costs.
He stated that he is committed to proving skeptics wrong and that the project will be launched soon.
“When I said that we will have electric motorbikes people thought it was just mere stories. Wale wanafikiria kwamba mambo ya pikipiki ambayo itatumia stima ni hadithi watakuja kujua hawajui,” he said.
In the same breath, he stated that he has made a significant adjustment in the 2023/24 budget in favour of the bodaboda sector, which he believes will be effective in conducting business.
“In this budget, we have prioritized four things towards the bodaboda sector first it’s the input duty where we import parts and we assemble locally, there has been a duty of 35% and we have reduced it to 10% so that the price of bodaboda goes down,” he said.
“Because we are heading to electric motorcycles, the VAT that would be paid for charging stations and battery swapping stations has been scrapped off,” he added.
“Lithium-ion batteries which are used in electric vehicles and motorcycles had a 35% taxation on them and we have now reduced it to 10%.”
The launch was the first rollout that saw 200,000 boda boda riders benefit from the one-year free medical cover.
Beneficiaries were chosen based on their compliance with National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) regulations.
The government hopes that the programme will ensure that riders across the country follow the NTSA’s laws and regulations, while also recruiting riders to the NHIF in order to achieve Universal Health Care.
The programme also intends to use the riders as first responders in the event of an accident.
