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A woman in her thirties was on 7 March sexually assaulted by a group of motorbike riders after she was involved in a road accident with a motorbike rider on Forest Road in Nairobi county. The incident which was capture by onlookers and posted on social media platforms, occurred as the woman got out of her car in an effort to resolve the matter.
This has since led to an outcry across the country with many calling on the Government to regulate the Motorbike industry in the country. As highlighted in The Relentless cycle, an academic essay the Motorbike Industry has been heavily criticized for its correlation to the increasing crime rates in some of the major cities and towns in the country. The Motorbike riders, commonly known as Bodaboda riders and are popular in most of the country’s main cities as they are a fast and affordable alternative mode of public transport.
Authorities have reportedly arrested sixteen individuals suspected to be involved in the incident and investigations are said to be underway according to Inspector-General of Police Hilary Mutyambai. The President, Uhuru Kenyatta and Dr. Fred Matiangi, E.G.H., the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government have announced new measures to be implemented with the aim of regulating the industry. The measures include a crackdown on the unlicensed riders re-registration of individual riders into SACCOs as well as removal or registration fee among others.
“It’s almost like being a woman is constantly about bracing yourself for that moment when you’ll experience violation and you have no way to protect yourself” stated Sharon Mundia a Digital content creator in Kenya. A petition with over 300 million signatures has been signed in support of stiffer laws on boda boda riders.
