NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 10 – Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Leader Raila Odinga has warned against the blanket condemnation when it comes to taming the Bodaboda sector following the Forest Road incident where a female motorist was assaulted.
During an Azimio la Umoja rally in Meru, Odinga pointed out that Bodaboda operators across the country should not bear the burden of the incident when only a few elements were involved in the ugly incident that happened last week.
“Let it not be taken that all Bodaboda operators in the country were involved in the incident. When someone does a mistake, let that person be arrested,” Odinga said.
The ODM Leader insisted that it set a bad precedence when a whole Bodaboda sector is facing the brunt of unlawfulness conducted by a group or individuals.
“When it someone commits a crime, he is the one on the wrong side of the law. That is not to say that everyone in the Bodaboda business is a criminal,” he pointed out.
Odinga stated that the Bodaboda sector should not be criminalized as it has been helpful to the society by offering a source of employment.
He called on the National Police Service to set free those arrested and are not culpable for the ugly incident that occurred in Forest Road and have not brushed the law, the wrong way.
“Bodaboda operators should not be disciplined for the mistake of one person. Those others should be set free because they are doing a good work in this nation,” Odinga urged.
“I want to tell police officers to stop harassing bodaboda operators in the country,” he added.
Detectives have unmasked the identity of the main culprit of the Forest Road sexual assault.
The Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti said the suspect was unmasked through digital forensics at the modern lab.
“The mastermind of the despicable sexual harassment incident, that has attracted countrywide condemnation has finally been unmasked. This is after undercover agents drawn from the elite Crime Research & Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) and DCI Nairobi Regional Headquarters,” Kinoti said, naming him as Zacharia Nyaora Obadia.
Kinoti said a manhunt for the suspect on Tuesday evening was not successful after he escaped a police dragnet.
The government has rolled out new reforms for the boda boda sector following the sexual assault incident that occurred on Forest Road in Nairobi this week.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi convened a meeting with the riders on Wednesday where he assured their representatives that the government is out to reform the sector.
“We are not here to target you in any way,” Matiangi said, accompanied by top security chiefs, including Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai, “what we want to do is reform the sector and weed out criminals who are amongst you and we need your help.”
Since Monday, more than 200 riders were arrested and charged in a crackdown that also impounded over 1,000 motorcycles. They were later charged and freed on Sh35,000 fines each.
The operation was launched following a viral video that showed riders sexually assaulting a woman on Forest Road, sparking outrage countrywide.
