First of all, they are just too many and have become a nuisance. If you have occasionally taken a ride on many of Kampala’s boda bodas (motorbikes), I am very sure you cannot struggle to recollect the number of times you have cheated death by a whisker. The boda boda ride is as convenient as it is risky and dangerous.
Obviously, the early morning jam can’t let you prosper if you have a deadline report to finalise at the office, so who are you likely to call to save the day? Mohammed, your trusted boda rider. He will be the hero when he makes a quick dash through the jam as he swerves around tight corners and in no time you will be at your office. Amazing stuff right there.
In that time meanwhile, Mohammed will have spent three quarters of the ride on a pavement, run three red lights and performed all sorts of miracles on Kampala roads. If you are a firm believer in God and prayer, you just might be lucky to reach your destination with nothing but your half-petty pulled to your neck and if you are a guy, your tie hanging to the side and your previously tucked-in shirt out of position.
While such scenes could make out for a part in movies like the Transporter, the Fast and Furious, the reality is that all this is played out on our local turf of Kampala and many other parts of Uganda. Boda bodas will raise your blood pressure at any point in time and they have become the main catalysts of the rampant road accidents around town. Where there is an accident, there is surely a boda boda somewhere. One in three friends of mine has been a victim to some boda boda madness with most of them sustaining injuries.
These boda boda riders are reckless, unruly and unfortunately haven’t been controlled by authorities. All of a sudden, everyone thinks they can own a boda boda and operate it. It is no rare sight for a man to share a trip behind the rider with his not-so small calf, piglet and whichever animal made it to Noah’s Ark. In Kampala, there are no probabilities as far as boda bodas are concerned. Anything is possible.
With each passing day, the grip of the law on boda boda riders loosens and you have all these riders traversing the city causing all kinds of notoriety. There has been an insurgent crime increase with many boda boda riders named in various crimes around town. People will tell you that a ride on a boda boda taken in the wee hours of the night is like signing your death warrant. As much as boda bodas save a lot of time and are a relatively cheap mode of transport, police and KCCA should work closely to make sure that the boda boda indiscipline is put to a stop. Nice weekend guys.
