Calls are growing for the government to tighten regulations on motorcycles, especially boda bodas, following concerns that they are increasingly being used in crime.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on September 11, Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu said he is proposing new rules that would make motorcycles easier to track when used in unlawful activities.
One of his main suggestions is that motorcycles should not only display number plates at the back, but also have a front number plate.
He explained that this plate should be bigger and more visible from a distance, making it easier for surveillance cameras to capture the registration numbers.
According to the senator, bigger front plates would help law enforcement quickly identify riders involved in crime. “I have been wondering whether it is time we made it mandatory for motorcycles to have front number plates, with numbers that can be easily read from a distance,” Nyutu remarked.
He added that modern camera systems would then be able to record these plates clearly, making it easier to trace the motorcycle owner or rider within a short time.
“If cameras can capture these registration numbers, we can easily identify who the motorbike belongs to and bring suspects to book,” he explained.
Beyond crime prevention, the senator noted that this proposal could also help reduce hit-and-run accidents, since offenders would be easily identifiable.
“We must think seriously about regulating boda bodas so that if a crime happens, within two or three days, investigators can tell who was riding that motorcycle,” he stressed.
Nyutu’s remarks came just days after the shocking killing of city lawyer Kyalo Mbobu on September 9. Mbobu was gunned down by two armed men on a motorcycle as he drove home along Magadi Road after leaving a meeting in the Nairobi city centre.
The senator pointed out that if the assailants’ motorcycle had carried a visible front plate, it would have been much easier for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to track down the killers using CCTV footage and other surveillance systems.
The proposal has sparked debate, with many Kenyans agreeing that better regulation of boda bodas could help curb crime and improve road safety, though questions remain on how such measures would be enforced effectively across the country.
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