(Kennedy Mong'are Okong'o was the first Nyamira Senator and the National Liberal Party leader)

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The advent of motorcycles in recent years has come with consequential calamities which the country was not fully prepared for.

In the Gusii highlands, boda boda riders face greater risks compared to other riders in other areas.

Besides the unprecedented danger of accidents, the climatic conditions in the area have claimed as many lives as accidents have, youths being the biggest casualties.

These youths ride and operate the motorbike without adherence to the recommended riding gear. Most riders never wear the heavy protective jackets in the chilly and cold weather which is the standard climate for the region all year round.

When a rider suffers from cold-related complications such as pneumonia, it is mistaken for HIV/AIDS, a theory further compounded by the randy nature of some riders who cast caution to the wind and engage in illicit affairs.

Such riders are often teased by their peers to a point that they shy away from seeking medical attention due to the imaginary stigma of being HIV/AIDS victims. Eventually, they lose lives on the account of ignorance.

Scores of others have been left maimed after surviving horrific accidents and this number keeps on increasing often.

Riders, not only in Gusii but also other parts of the country are also at a higher risk of impotence due to prolonged exposure too much heat and vibration from the engine every other time they are riding.

Though impotence never strikes at once, it begins as erectile dysfunction and later lowers sperm production eventually graduating to impotency.

Further, with the roads in parts of Gusiiland and other parts of rural Kenya being corrugated and having treacherous terrains, it has a ripple effect in their marital lives because it gets to a point where they are not able to perform their marital obligations.

Recent studies conducted have found out that most of the boda boda riders use sex enhancing drugs to boost their libido which is gradually damaged by the vibration of the engine and heat. 

The findings qualify the sentiments above and call for all stakeholders; the county government, national government and other development partners to mitigate this time bomb.

If this situation is not addressed from now, in a few years to come, Gusiiland and other parts of Kenya might not have youths fit for nation-building.

#hivisasaoriginal