Boda Boda Riders Block Busy Highway Over ‘Unfair’ Motorbike Seizures
Transport was briefly paralysed along the Busia-Kisumu highway for a better part of Sunday evening after protests by boda boda operators turned chaotic.
According to reports, unrest was sparked by a crackdown on motorbikes by authorities in a move which boda boda operators deemed unfair, particularly since it was carried out without consultations with their leadership.
Images and videos published online depicted an escalating situation with operators blocking sections of the Kisumu–Busia road.
They also lit fires and erecting barricades that disrupted movement along one of western Kenya’s most critical transport corridors.
The situation eventually descended into running battles, with police forced to fire teargas canisters to disperse the irate group.
Further reports indicate that operators took to the busy highway to stone other motorists.
For a greater part of the evening, long queues of lorries were witnessed stretching across the highway, with drivers unable to access the cross-border route, with motorists being advised to seek alternative routes.
Witnesses also reported hearing gunshots during the confrontation, raising fears over the safety of both civilians and law enforcement officers caught up in the chaos.
Predictably, businesses in Luanda town were forced to shut down early as the unrest intensified, with traders scrambling to secure their premises amid fears of looting.
At the time of publication of this article, police were yet to issue a formal statement on the chaos that ensued.
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The boda boda sector remains one of the most vibrant economic lifelines in Vihiga County, sustaining thousands of youths, although it has in recent months been marred by recurring controversy.
Notably, some operators, largely drawn from the youth, have increasingly been associated with disorderly conduct, a trend that has prompted authorities to intensify crackdowns on non-compliant riders.
One of the more recent incidents of rogue operators took place in September 2025, after operators torched a matatu in Luanda Town after a road accident left one dead.
At the time, it was reported that a bodaboda operator died on the spot after he was reportedly knocked by a 14-seater, leading to retaliatory action from his counterparts.
More recently, a rider was murdered in February 2026 during a political rally in Mbale town after being attacked by a mob.
Boda Boda Riders Block Busy Highway Over ‘Unfair’ Motorbike Seizures
