Drama as boda boda riders in Ruto’s Mandera rally demand unpaid ‘attendance’ fees
By Wycliffe Nyamasege, June 13, 2022A group of boda boda operators who attended a Kenya Kwanza event in Mandera last week have accused the local leadership of pocketing money left behind by Deputy President William Ruto.
Drama at Mandera Police station
The riders caused a scene at Mandera Police Station on Friday, June 10, 2022, as they demanded that the leaders allied to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party be arrested for short-changing them.
The team that also included some taxi operators from the region had allegedly been mobilized to form part of the DP’s entourage and attend rallies hosted by the UDA presidential candidate on June 9.
Apparently, the operators had been promised some payment for gracing the DP’s rally.
The operators claim that UDA grassroots mobilisers and candidates who had been tasked with distributing the money disappeared with their dues after Ruto left the county.
“We were engaged by a Member of County Assembly (MCA) allied to UDA to escort the Deputy President from the airstrip to a hotel through the town but the guy has disappeared with our pay,” Yakub Abdi, a boda boda operator in Mandera stated.
Neboi MCA and Leader of Majority at Mandera County Assembly Abdi Adan Ali denied the claims, saying all the money received from the party had been used in paying security teams and delegates who graced the economic forum.
“We paid Ksh100,000 to police and another Ksh100,000 to UDA candidates and others from affiliate parties who came from places like Mandera North and Lafey as their transport expenses,” Ali said.
No case
Police, however, said they couldn’t take any action as the operators lacked a formal agreement that formed the basis of their complaint.
“The boda boda operators were here but we could not receive their complaint because they lacked a formal agreement that formed the basis for their complaint. It could be difficult for us to nail the suspect in this case,” an officer who spoke to a local daily said.