Boda boda riders on Monday lost a case seeking to allow them to operate within the city’s central business district.
But as Justice Roselyn Aburili dismissed the case filed by Starehe MP Charles Kanyi Njagua alias Jaguar, she did not have nice words for politicians whom she accused of using motorbike riders as pawns in the political game.
‘ELECTION PROMISES’
According to the judge, the politicians rally the boda boda riders to their camps, only to dump them after winning elections.
“They must not pawn the riders for political gain . They must not create any legitimate expectations in the minds of the riders that they will not enforce after the election,” she said.
Justice Aburili told Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko to enforce the law decisively if he intends to eradicate the rot in the city and restore its former glory.
Mr Njagua moved to court in January following the ban restricting the boda bodas from entering the CBD.
The Starehe MP argued that the decision was reached without consulting the relevant stakeholders. According to him, the move was ill-informed and was made based on irrelevant considerations.
He argued that the ban may result in more harm than good as the riders will be left frustrated and without a source of income, which might force them to engage in criminal activities.
He also argued that the ban curtailed the economic rights of many boda boda riders who rely on ferrying passengers to and from the Nairobi CBD.
