Rwanda tour planned for boda boda riders, traders
Boda boda riders at a fuel station in Nairobi. Nairobi County government will take 300 small-scale traders, boda boda and matatu operators to Rwanda on a learning tour. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
City Hall’s director of operations Peter Mbaya said the three groups will each identify 100 members to take part in the trip.
At the same time, Mr Mbaya revealed that the county had set aside funds in its current budget for the construction of additional markets
Matatu operators are set to leave the city centre in less than a week in a move aimed at decongesting the CBD.
Nairobi County government will take 300 small-scale traders, boda boda and matatu operators to Rwanda on a learning tour.
City Hall’s director of operations Peter Mbaya said the three groups will each identify 100 members to take part in the trip.
“There are plans to take the group to Rwanda for benchmarking for them to appreciate that there are better and more civilised ways of managing their businesses,” Mr Mbaya said on Thursday.
At the same time, Mr Mbaya revealed that the county had set aside funds in its current budget for the construction of additional markets in every sub-county to accommodate small-scale traders removed from the city centre.
DECONGESTING CBD
Matatu operators are set to leave the city centre in less than a week in a move aimed at decongesting the CBD.
City Hall is now repairing the last terminus, along Thika Road next to GSU headquarters, which has been holding back the programme.
“We did demolitions and now we are doing repairs to the termini for them to be in good shape. Very soon, we are going to announce the date when they are to leave the CBD,” he said.
There will be a vetting of the matatu operators to determine who among them should be allowed to access the city centre.
Mr Mbaya said the operation to decongest the city centre, which has been going on for the past six months, will make the city more habitable, safer and secure, while restoring order.
He decried the influx of hawkers into the city centre which has resulted in congestion in the streets.
STREET FAMILIES
The increased number of street families has also led to a surge in crime, he said.
Mr Mbaya also cited the increase in the number of boda boda operators, who are not only unpopular for their reckless disregard for traffic rules, but are also used by criminals to get away after committing crime, as a challenge.
The officer denied claims that staff in the county government’s Security Compliance and Disaster Management Unit always mistreat traders and city residents while carrying out their duties.
He insisted that the unit discharges its duties procedurally and within the law.
