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{
    "id": 1446237,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1446237/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 134,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wamatinga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13582,
        "legal_name": "Wahome Wamatinga",
        "slug": "wahome-wamatinga"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this very important Bill. I spent one long week in Rwanda as an election observer, and I had an opportunity to interact with the boda boda riders. It is quite fascinating to see how regulated they are; how they watch out for everybody by only carrying one passenger and they must wear a helmet. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the boda boda sector in this country cannot be underrated. There are some places where we do not have road network and they can only be accessed through motorcycles. Therefore, it is imperative that we look at laws and mechanisms to make this industry thrive; but most importantly, ensure that the security of both the passengers and the riders is taken care of. Mr. Speaker, Sir, gone are days when we used to have our youth go to school and get good jobs. The Transport sector has created very many employment opportunities for our young generation. As a result, it is upon us as legislators, to make sure that we put laws and mechanisms in place that ensure once they get into the industry, they have an opportunity to grow and if they get an accident, they not only access good medical facilities but are not maimed for life. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this cannot be done without us putting in place good laws, but most importantly good civic education, so that our riders and their passengers are safe. In other countries and more so the Western countries, we know the government and the local governments manage public transport. In this country, the transportation sector has been left in the hands of the private sector. We have been a bit slow in dragging our legs on formulating laws that will regulate this. Therefore, it is important today that we start looking at these issues by addressing the possible loopholes and gaps that are there. One of them is to come up with a good law that will ensure that our insurance firms will take care of the victims who get accidents. If you go to any public hospital, you will find a ward dedicated to people who have sustained fractures or injuries due to boda boda accidents. Unlike a motor vehicle where somebody has a safety belt, you cannot put on one on a motorcycle. Therefore, the exposure is high. We must therefore look at our insurance policies, so that anybody who is involved in a boda boda accident does not only get treatment, but accessible and affordable means of being treated. I urge my colleagues that we must take responsibility by conducting civic education, so that the boda boda riders in Kenya can emulate the ones in Rwanda who only carry one passenger equipped with a helmet and a reflective jacket. If we do that, we will go a long way in ensuring that we minimise the number of accidents. Moreover, we know that when most of these riders come from school, they are usually trained for two days then they take on carrying passengers. It is high time that we come up with a mechanism to ensure we have safe standardised training procedures, so that they know the secure and better use of roads in order to avoid some of these accidents. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
}