This he said while launching a National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) cover for bodaboda operators dubbed the ‘Boda Boda Care’, noting that he acknowledges the important role the sector plays in bolstering the nation’s economy and even needs more support to stamp its presence as key contributors.
“I have done about 200 harambees for bodaboda riders and I have used Ksh.250 million of my own money about 8,9,10 years ago. I’m saying this so that you understand the importance of the bodaboda sector,” he said.
President Ruto was speaking at the Kenyatta International Conventional Conference (KICC) in Nairobi.
The Head of State further went on to dismiss claims that link boda boda operators to crime, arguing that the few criminal acts conducted by bodaboda operators should not soil the reputation of the many who eke out a living from the business.
“And if there are any criminals let them be dealt with just as much as other criminals are dealt with. There was a huge conversation of people saying that a few bodaboda criminals who rob someone and use the motorbike to escape and people said that this sector has thieves and I denied so and said this sector is as good as any other sector,” said Ruto.
Dr. Ruto went on to reiterate the government’s plan to roll out electric motorcycles to help reduce the reliance on diesel and petrol amid escalating transport costs.
He noted that he is committed to proving sceptics wrong and the project will be rolled out soon.
“When I said that we will have electric motorbikes people thought it was just mere stories. Wale wanafikiria kwamba mambo ya pikipiki ambayo itatumia stima ni hadithi watakuja kujua hawajui,” he said.
In the same breath, he said that he has made a huge adjustment in favour of the bodaboda sector in the 2023/24 budget which he believes will be effective to conduct business.
“In this budget, we have prioritized four things towards the bodaboda sector first it’s the input duty where we import parts and we assemble locally, there has been a duty of 35% and we have reduced it to 10% so that the price of bodaboda goes down,” he said.
He added: “Because we are heading to electric motorcycles, the VAT that would be paid for charging stations and battery swapping stations has been scrapped off.”
“Lithium-ion batteries which are used in electric vehicles and motorcycles had a 35% taxation on them and we have now reduced it to 10%.”
The launch was the first rollout of the which has seen 200,000 boda boda riders benefit from the one-year free medical cover.
The beneficiaries were selected after they followed National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) regulations.
The government hopes that the program will ensure that riders across the country follow the NTSA’s laws and regulations while also recruiting riders to the NHIF in order to achieve Universal Health Care.
The program also plans to use the riders as First Responders in the event of an accident. BY CITIZEN DIGITAL