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{
    "id": 1446296,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1446296/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 193,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Joe Nyutu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Insurance cover under Clause 22 is very important. Most of the people that have had motorcycle accidents, sometimes suffer grievous harm to their bodies yet they have no recourse. They have to pay their medical bills. If you lose your leg, nobody will compensate you because most of these riders do not have an insurance cover on their bikes. As we require our boda boda to have an insurance cover for every other motorcycle that is on the road, we must also consider the rates of paying for a cover because the business is not that profitable. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, what then should be done? Although we will be bringing amendments to this Bill, I am of the view that since every Government gives incentives to business people; it should chip in. We can even have an insurance agency partly or wholly owned by the Government so that we can charge these boda boda riders a figure that they can afford. Whatever is over and above the value of the cover, it should be met by the Government as an incentive to this particular sector that has employed so many of our youths. There are very many benefits in this Bill, but we need also to rethink about the offences and penalties. We may not want to allow them to break the law, but we may need to revise some figures. If you go to 26(2), there is a provision that if you are found liable for a particular offence, you are penalised Kshs100,000 which may not be affordable. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we may need to revise some of these figures downwards even as we encourage our young men and women who are riding boda boda to be law abiding. We must charge them penalties that can be afforded. That is why if you walk into almost every police station in this country, you will find a lot of boda boda parked there because our young men and women cannot meet the requirements in law that they need to meet in order to have their motorcycles that have been impounded in police stations, released. So, we should revise that. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, before I conclude, I am excited regarding the behaviour of ganging up. This Bill has a provision under 20(26) that they will not be allowed to gang up, especially when there is an accident. It has become a very serious problem - and I am concluding - that when there is an accident between a motorcycle and a vehicle, whether or not the rider was the one on the wrong, they gang up and harass motorists. Such are the things that should not be encouraged. I support this Bill in totality with some amendments that Members may bring. Thank you."
}