Bodaboda riders rob Sh500,000 from motorist
Police are on the trail of motorbike riders, commonly known as bodaboda, who robbed a motorist after he got involved in a minor road accident with one of them.
The motorist lost Sh500,000 in Nyali, Mombasa.
According to a statement from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) a group of riders had milled around his car following the minor accident as he tried to settle the case.
And after talks, the two agreed to settle the damages caused by paying the rider Sh5,000 and when the victim identified as Abdallah Mohamed opened a bag he was carrying containing the money, the riders, including the, supposedly injured one, grabbed it and took off.
Efforts to track all the five riders involved are ongoing, police say.
The DCI has cautioned motorists not to settle traffic cases by themselves whenever involved in a road mishap but instead inform police officers for lawful action.
Last week, Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai put unruly bodaboda operators on notice.
In a statement, Mutyambai warned the bodaboda riders against the emerging culture of impunity and lawlessness that pose a grave risk to public safety and security.
He said the National Police Service is already mapping out hotspot areas, ahead of a major security operation to weed out rogue operators following increased accidents.
The National Police Service asked Kenyans to report to the nearest police station should they be involved in an accident or any incident in the future.
“All police officers have been directed to be on the lookout to take the necessary lawful action against any bodaboda rider found to be taking law into their own hands.
The bodaboda sector plays a huge role in the Kenyan economy as a source of employment and livelihood for many people.
“The operators and riders must therefore closely partner with the police to make this important sector safe, secure, and orderly,” he added.