Women bodaboda riders in Uasin Gishu County have been asked to ensure they have a driving license before venturing into public service.
This, some of the experienced women riders say, will help minimize instances of mistreatment and discrimination that the female operators face in the male-dominated industry.
The riders also say being in possession of the driving license will ensure their smooth operations and avoid being arrested.
It is a requirement under the Traffic Police Act for all bodaboda riders to acquire a driving license.
Speaking during the graduation from bodaboda driving classes sponsored by Global Civic Sharing (GCS), some of the female bodaboda riders lamented that their female counterparts were looking down upon them – because of their gender.
“When people are at a stage, they bluntly refuse being carried by a woman bodaboda rider. They have a perception that we are not as capable as the male operators,” noted one of the riders.
“Some did not know that I have passed through formal training and that I am competent,” she added.
The women bodaboda operators admit that it has not been easy for them to penetrate the male-dominated industry.
They said the industry has a myriad of challenges, but some of them have been addressed following the engagement with GCS.
“These ladies have testimonies. When we began, just 4 of them had motorbikes but now only one from the group does not have it. Even today, they tell me the male riders have embraced them in the stages,” noted Winnie Limanye, an officer from the Global Civic Sharing (GCS) organization.
Limanye noted that the initiative was aimed at reducing discrimination the female bodaboda operators face in the industry, as well as encouraging more to take up the job opportunities available in the sector that has employed hundreds of youths across the country.
