Deputy President Dr William Ruto on Sunday mounted a strong defence of boda boda operators.
Speaking at Kiamaiko, Mathare Constituency after attending a church service, the deputy president rejected the claims that the operators are criminal, saying that he had been told that they were being harassed.
"Bodaboda operators have told me that they are being harassed. I want to say this: Bodaboda operators are not criminals. They are businesspeople. (Watu wa bodaboda wameniambia ya kwamba wanaharakishwa na wananyanyaswa. Mimi nataka niseme hivi, watu wa bodaboda sio wakora, watu wa bodaboda sio wezi. Watu wa bodaboda ni wafanyibiashara.), " the deputy president said while addressing Mathare residents.
Even as he mounted the spirited defence, DP Ruto called on those in the boda boda industry to guard against and smoke out criminals who have infiltrated the industry.
He pledged to ensure that the rights of the operators were upheld and not violated.
Cases of criminals committing crimes and using motorbikes to escape have been reported leading to law enforcement officers to impose a curfew on operators.
A government report early this year found that bodaboda gangs posed a threat to national security.
“Like the matatu industry that at one time was infiltrated by lethal gangs like Mungiki, there is fear that boda bodas could be heading the matatu route if adequate policy interventions are not implemented in good time," the report warned.