The State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action has launched a sensitization programme on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) targeting Boda Boda riders.

Halima Abdi, Director of the Anti-Gender Based Violence directorate said it is crucial to have community dialogues with men to establish positive gender attitudes to end GBV.

The boda boda riders converged at the Mombasa County Commissioner’s boardroom and decried sexual harassment they go through in the line of duty from their pillion passengers.

‘As Boda Boda riders we have encountered a myriad of challenges, especially in our work through GBV.The most focus of GBV is on women but as men, we are going through GBV,” said Josphat Odour, Secretary General Mombasa County BodaBoda Association.

Odour revealed that some women passengers use sexual overtures as bait not to pay for rides.

‘They see riders as an opportunity to carry them without money; if you insist on fare then she wants to offer sex in exchange, even the way they handle you it inferred ulterior motives. We mostly encounter these challenges at night,” said Odour.

The riders said the sensitization was informative as they now know of the existence of gender-based desks in all police stations to handle cases relating to GBV.

‘The desks were not there before; I hope we will be assisted when we go to the police stations because when we took our cases as men we were laughed at, ‘stated Odour.

Christine Munyoki, a woman Boda Boda rider operating in Changamwe Sub-County said some male riders feel threatened by women joining the Boda Boda sector as they look for passengers.

She said, ‘I work during the day till late hours, we are going through challenges because we have entered into a male-dominated sector and they don’t like it’.

She added that they will report cases of GBV to the police, she urged the Directorate of Anti-GBV to cascade the teachings to the grassroots to create awareness.

Source: Kenya News Agency