Court bars boda boda operations within city CBD
A Nairobi court on Friday declined to allow boda boda operators from operating within Nairobi’s CBD. Instead the boda boda operators, who had sued the Nairobi county government for banning their operations, will have to wait for the determination of the suit.
The boda boda operators had vowed to defy a City Hall directive to move out of the city centre and held a protest after the ban was issued in a notice published in local newspapers.
Justice Mumbi Ngugi said the operators failed to convince the court of the urgency of the temporary orders sought.
The high court judge set April 4, 2016 for a hearing for both parties to go back to court and fix a hearing date of the main petition.
“I’m not convinced the temporary orders pursued by the petitioners should to be issued at this point,” Ngugi said.
BANNED
Twelve boda boda saccos have sued the Nairobi government for banning operators from the CBD.
Through a statement to newsrooms on November 9, 2015 Governor Evans Kidero said boda boda operators were banned from carrying passengers to and from the city centre with immediate effect.
“Pursuant to the provisions of the Traffic Act CAP 403 of 2014 of the Laws of the Republic of Kenya, the Nairobi City County Government wishes to inform all motorcycle (boda boda) operators ferrying passengers to and from the Central Business District (CBD) that such activities have been banned with immediate effect,” he stated.
On Tuesday, proceedings at the Nairobi City county assembly turned chaotic on afternoon after Jubilee MCAs shot down a motion meant to ban boda boda riders from the city center.