The planned registration of 2.5 million boda boda riders will start Monday March 28 across the country.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi said principal secretaries will preside over the exercise at all Huduma Centers with a primary objective of issuing Smart Driving Licences to qualified riders.
The move is aimed at streamlining the transport sub sector and to promote road safety and security for the operators and their customers.
The exercise will be conducted for 60 working days until June 24, 2022.
"A registered boda boda rider will be issued with a Smart Driving Licence within the period upon the processing of registration information,” Matiang'i said.
He said the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) will provide 12 months health cover to the first 200,000 licensed boda boda riders.
To register, a rider must present himself/herself in person and have original ID card, a copy of KRA PIN number and an active registered phone number.
“A notification will be sent to the registered mobile number upon processing of the registration information,” the CS said in a statement on Sunday.
Last week, Matiang'i announced that officials of various boda boda groups will be invited to attend security meetings at various levels in the country.
They will need to attend meetings called by chiefs, sub-county commissioners, county commissioners and at times regional commissioners to explain their challenges in the field.
This is part of efforts to push for reforms in the sector seen as critical yet poorly regulated and managed.
Matiang’i and his ICT counterpart Joe Mucheru met leaders of the sector and made the revelations on March 23 as part of preparations for the exercise.
The meeting happened at the Kenya School of Government, Lower Kabete in Nairobi.
“Take their details and share with the regional commissioners, county commissioners and sub county commissioners to enable them attend all security meetings on regular basis to deliberate on what is needed to be done,” Matiang'i said.
The meeting at Kabete was organized by Boda Boda Association of Kenya with support from the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs and the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA to discuss reforms in the sector and prevent Gender Based Violence in the public transport industry.
The event brought together more than 300 boda boda officials from all subcounties in 47 counties, who form part of the leadership of the Boda Boda Association in their respective counties.
Matiangi said the sector is crucial in general development and vowed to push on with the planned reforms.
“The government values what you do in this country and we are determined to ensure there is order in the sector. No one wants to kill this sector with more than 2.5 million people,” he said.
He however affirmed that some riders are involved in crime and have to be weeded out. The CS advised the riders not to be used by politicians to cause chaos and asked them to be peace ambassadors whenever they are.
“We want you to be peace ambassadors in all areas that you are. If there is any one of you is involved in an accident or confrontation, ensure you lead in calming any form of tension.”
Matiang'i said the Saccos the riders are being asked to form and join will be key in driving the sector.
“The president ordered the waiver of the Sh5,800 registration fee to ensure there is maximum absorption. It is better we forgo the money and have an orderly sector in the end,” he said.
Unemployment, idleness, poverty, drug and substance abuse, non-regulation of the sector, greed, desire for quick money and weak law enforcement by agencies have been blamed for increased crime involving boda bodas.
Others include peer pressure, illiteracy, criminal minds, insecurity, poor infrastructure, high cost of living, corruption, ease of access to firearms through porous Kenyan border, drought and hunger, uncoordinated boda boda Saccos, political incitement, non-sharing of information with security agencies and tribalism.
Research conducted in 2018 established that some riders are involved in serious crimes such as robbery with violence and have caused accidents that have left many impaired and dead.
In 2018 alone, the riders caused 3,877 deaths through dangerous riding, stole 3,774 times, breached public order and created public disturbances 3,328 times and stole motorcycles and motorcycle parts 3,227 times.
“Boda bodas are increasingly becoming a very popular and entrenched means of transport in Kenya. However, with the rising popularity, there are worrying concerns that the subsector is increasingly associated with crimes, traffic accidents and impunity with grave implications with public safety,” the report read in part.
President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the nationwide crackdown of all operators following a horrifying incident where riders sexually assaulted a female driver on Wangari Maathai Road in Nairobi on March 4.
There will be vetting of all the riders and they will have smart licenses and join Saccos. The smart card licenses that will be issued to all boda boda riders will have NHIF details of the holders.
"This will enable the riders to get medical attention whenever they are involved in accidents, which have become a tall order to handle," Matiangi said.
He said the smart cards have riders’ details and urged all concerned parties to support the new drive.
The CS said a recent report handed to him on the business showed up to 60 per cent of the 2.5 million riders in the country are not insured.
More than 70 per cent of them are not trained on how to ride the motorcycles apart from the brief sessions they receive in estates and homes.
“There is no regulation on the sector and it is in a mess hence the need to conduct the mass registration and proper documentation,” he said.
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