175 youth in Kisumu County have every reason to smile after receiving motorbikes to assist them to eke a living as boda-boda operators.
The youth were handed the motorbikes during a function held at the Jomo Kenyatta Sports on Friday, led by the Chief Administrative Secretary in Ministry of Public Service Youth and Gender affairs Rachel Shebesh and Kisumu County Women Representative Rosa Akinyi Buyu.
The project is being funded by the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) in partnership with General Motors.
NGAAF also issued a cheque worth Shs 550,000 to enable the boda-boda riders to attend driving schools and obtain licenses for operating their business.
Mrs Buyu said that the number of 175 motorbikes was arrived at after 5 youth were selected from all Kisumu County’s 35 wards.
She warned against what she termed as politicizing the project and further insisted that they will ensure the youth acquire the relevant driving papers for their safety and that of their clients.
“Government policies or traffic laws are not there to hinder their industry but rather to take care of the safety for both them as riders and the passengers that they carry. So this is an opportunity for them to break that ice between them and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) for the betterment of this industry,” said the Women Representative.
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