Riders protest crackdown that they say has led to loss of daily income.
The clampdown, which is on its sixth day, is set to continue through the first week of March.
They say they have been treated like criminals during the operations.
Boda Boda operators in Nairobi County held demonstrations Wednesday over the decision to ban them from operating within the city centre.
The protest comes amid an ongoing crackdown on hawkers and boda boda riders in the Nairobi central business district (CBD) by the county Inspectorate Department officers in collaboration with the police.
The clampdown, which is on its sixth day, is set to continue through the first week of March.
The operators camped outside the office of Governor Mike Sonko waiting to present a written petition while wielding placards and honking sirens demanding that they be addressed by the county boss, who is is said to still be out of the country.
Maltreatment
United Boda Boda Welfare Association chairman, Kenneth Onyango, said that the protests were because they have been treated like criminals during the operations.
They allege that county and police officers have been clobbering the riders and also impounding their motorcycles which are thereafter taken to the county headquarters and others to the general store.
“We are against the operation that is currently ongoing and as we are speaking right now most of the bikes have been detained for weeks and others for months and every day they are charging Sh1,000 for every bike,” Mr Onyango said.
However, director of operations at City Hall's Inspectorate Department - Peter Mbaya - has termed the operation a success, saying that since the start of the exercise normalcy has returned to the streets of Nairobi.
“It has been a success as you can see a lot of improvements has been recorded since it started. The streets are clear with whoever you see are always on the run and even traffic has improved,” said Mr Mbaya on Tuesday.
The boda boda lobby chairman said that since the crackdown started last week on February 22, more than 400 motorbikes have been impounded and 300 of their members have been arrested.
He also claimed that their troubles have persisted despite the fact that they pay Sh3,000 every month to City Hall to operate within the CBD.
Designated areas
In January, the county government banned boda boda operators from the city centre in the wake of increased cases of insecurity.
They were expected to drop their passengers in areas outside the CBD such as City Stadium and Ngara.
Mr Onyango has called for the county government to instead set designated areas for them to operate as has been done for taxi drivers and matatus.
“We want unconditional release of the motorcycles, designated areas of operation for our members as there is one for taxis and matatus as we are also paying revenue to the country and so we are not second class citizens so we need value for our money,” he said.
The riders have also complained that the crackdown has led to daily loss of income, saying that less than 70 per cent of them are currently making Sh300 on average down from Sh1,000 before.
“We do not work because of the combined operation as our boda bodas are clobbered with rungus like criminals. We are losing at least Sh700 every day,” he said.
