Boda boda operators in Lari sub-county, Kiambu county, have been urged by the police not to flee the scene in case of accidents with vehicles.
Police officials said they have observed instances where operators involved in accidents pull away the wreckage of their motorcycles and hide them in undisclosed locations, leaving the wreckage of the other vehicles on the roads.
Adamson Furaha, the Lari sub-county police commander, emphasized that such actions pose challenges for traffic police during investigations.
“Some operators even with valid driving licenses and insurance covers hide themselves together with their motorcycles whenever they are involved in accidents,” he said.
Speaking to boda boda operators at Lari police station on Monday, Furaha applauded boda boda groups officials for assisting the police to organise road safety campaigns aimed at reducing accidents.
He noted that the area officer in charge of traffic inspector Jacqueline Mbula has been having meetings with boda boda operators to enlighten them about traffic rules, hygiene, and how to speak to customers among other topics.
“We have been advising them, that once they get involved, they become part of investigations and there is no need to hide. The trend of hiding is drastically reducing owing to the campaigns,” he said.
He spoke after confirming an incident in which a boda boda operator died on the spot when his motorcycle was involved in an accident with a lorry at Gatarama area near Rubis petrol station on Sunday night.
An operator James Chege said the rider Simon Kinuthia was joining the highway after refueling his motorcycles but he was hit by a lorry.
Furaha said the traffic police were investigating to establish the real cause of the accident, adding that the wreckage of both the lorry and the motorbike were at Lari police station.
The police boss urged road users to be very careful, especially during the Christmas Season since a lot of vehicles are witnessed passing along the Nairobi Nakuru highway and even on rural roads.
He noted that traffic police will be mounted on all roads to ensure traffic rules have been observed by motorists.
