The outcry that followed the revelation of the violence meted out by suspected boda-boda riders against a female motorist along Forest Road in Nairobi in March 2022 was swift and loud. There were unanimous calls to quickly apprehend and punish the perpetrators with the President ordering a crackdown on boda-boda operators starting from Nairobi City and across the country. Some netizens recommended a ban of the boda-boda sector.

This incident came at a time when the globe was about to celebrate the International Women’s Day providing a stark reminder of the prevalence of violence against women. According to UN Women, one in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner. Violence against women and girls is a human rights violation, and the immediate and long-term physical, sexual, and mental consequences for women and girls can be devastating, including death. 

Violence negatively affects women’s general well-being and prevents women from fully participating in society. It impacts their families, their community, and the country at large and so this incident not only deserved all the condemnation but also a rethink regarding reforming the boda-boda sector.