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{
    "id": 485781,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/485781/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 359,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ochieng",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2955,
        "legal_name": "David Ouma Ochieng'",
        "slug": "david-ouma-ochieng"
    },
    "content": "Historically, boda bodas or motorcycles or bicycles for that matter were not a major means of transport. But if you go to Busia today – I have been reading competing literature on this subject and I have found out that on the Ugandan side, they are saying that the boda boda term originated from Uganda and on the Kenyan side, they are also saying that the bodaboda term originated from Kenya. This is from the Busia County, at the border. At the Busia County border with Uganda, we have a ‘”no man’s land” which is almost half a kilometre and, therefore, for the small-scale traders there--- I grew up in that side of the country and we would buy maize and beans from Uganda. Those who used to drink busaa would cross the borderline, go and drink busaa and come back in the evening. Therefore, the bicycles would then ferry them from the Kenyan border to the Uganda border; hence the term boda boda . Ideally, border to border – moving from the Kenyan Busia border to the Uganda Busia border hence they came up with the name “ boda boda ”. On the other side of the country in Uganda, they have the same history and they claim that they are the ones who started this. Therefore, from that time, it then moved into the interior of these countries. I can assure you, it is not only a border issue, but a whole East African-wide issue and it is a continent wide-issue. In Africa now, the use of boda boda is everywhere. In Nigeria they call them Okada . It is being used all over the continent as a means of transport. That is why it is very important that we recognize the people who use this means of transport and recognize it; not only as a transport function, but also as an economic and social function. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the use of motorcycles as means of transport is pro-poor. Most people who are poor cannot afford a motor vehicle. Above all, there are areas in this country where the only means of transport or the only way of moving from one point to the next point is either you walk or you take a boda boda . Therefore, what those people do cannot be gainsaid. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, in some cases, this is the only means of transport available. If you are driving in Nairobi, you will realize that most of the time-- I was being told this morning by those who do business that if you are going to delay in presenting your tender, the only thing you need to do is to call a boda boda. That is because he is able to manoeuver through the traffic and get where you would have got in 30 The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}