Boda Boda riders in Kakamega are currently in a tussle with the management of the newly upgraded airstrip in the area.
They accuse the management of harassment and exclusion, claiming that they have been continuously harassed and locked out of the facility, resulting in financial hardship for them.
“The airstrip management keeps chasing us away each time we park near the facility, we are no longer benefiting from this development,” said one boda boda rider.
The riders have also taken issue with the parking fees imposed by the airstrip management, stating that the fees are exorbitant for small business owners like themselves.
They argue that by charging a daily fee of Sh50, the management is actively keeping them away from the facility.
“It is a deliberate attempt to discourage and chase us away. In order to transport passengers from the airport, we have to pay a parking fee of Sh50 every day. The county government needs to intervene and allow us to carry passengers and park freely around the facility,” another added.
The riders claim that the county’s parking fee is Sh1,000 per year and they believe that this amount should grant them the ability to park and operate anywhere within the county, including in the vicinity of the airstrip.
“We pay about Sh1,000 to the county as parking fee. Demanding KSh 50 for only 15 minutes is unfair. We have been unfairly associated with negative behaviour, insecurity, and manhandling of people, which is not helping us,” a third rider noted.
