Boda Bodas bikes have helped many of Kenya’s unemployed to make ends meet but now some are using them to commit crimes (Photo/ictfire.com)
Nairobi has always had been prone to crime waves but the latest trend of robberies carried out by men on bikes popularly knows as boda bodas has everyone worried. The boda boda thieves appear to be particularly fond of robbing motorists and usually operate in groups of three with one staying on the bike as the other two – guns at the ready – rob their unsuspecting victims.
The brazenness of this new breed of two-wheel thugs can be seen from the fact that unlike thieves of old they are not afraid to pounce in broad daylight. The latest incident happened to a motorist outside Sameer Business Park, along mombasa road. Disturbingly, it’s the second such incident outside the building in as many weeks.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko6nunHpfsg]
The attacks by the boda boda thieves, naturally, have elicited angry reactions from Kenyans.
These #BodaBodaThieves are becoming too much!! See this – https://t.co/F8rvzzdfii
— GIDI (@GidiOgidi) April 15, 2015
They are becoming a menace. Something should be done#BodaBodaThieves via @obuyapoly
— Ma3Route (@Ma3Route) April 15, 2015
These #BodabodaThieves need 2 b stopped! They prowl near offices along Msa rd and rob motorists @ gun point. 2 episodes I’ve seen in 1 week! — Carol Radull (@CarolRadull) April 15, 2015
Unhappy that the #BodaBodaThieves struck again earlier today See – https://t.co/ZbVzlbez65 — Bramwell Mwololo (@BramJambo) April 15, 2015
With the police seemingly slow to act, some Nairobians, no doubt with tongue in cheek, have some interesting suggestions on how to stop the thieves or at least give them pause before attacking another motorist.
Carry acid in ur cars and when they open the window rusha pap kwa uso. That person will definitely land in knh #BodaBodaThieves
— HARRIET (@riuwanj) April 15, 2015
That’s not to say the police haven’t taken any action against the thugs. Two boda boda thieves were reportedly killed by police officers while trying to rob a motorist along Lusaka road.
Two Boda Boda thugs shot dead along Lusaka road as they tried robbing a motorist. #BodaBodaThievespic.twitter.com/y9rLmwXrpW
— Mpasho News (@MpashoNews) April 22, 2015
The boda boda thieves problem is not a headache unique to Nairobi. Across the border in Uganda the menace is prevalent enough to have inspired a movie. Titled – you guessed it! – Boda Boda Thieves the movie tells the story of a young man trying to find his bike in the backstreets of Kampala after it was stolen by a gang who are now using it to steal.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdV-nQ7laGE]
Last year, Governor Nairobi Evans Kidero announced a ban on boda boda business between 6pm and 6am, but this call has not been yielded much neither has enforcement been strict. It is one way of restricting their business to hours that they can easily be identified and if thieves, be arrested easily. However, the Governor may need to be firm and demand actions from his officers.