President William Ruto’s advisor, Prof. Makau Mutua, is on the spot after sparking outrage with remarks calling for the ban of tuk-tuks and boda bodas from Nairobi and other urban centers.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Mutua claimed tuk-tuks were “pathetic contraptions” that were unsafe, unroadworthy, and a threat to urban order and aesthetics. His comments drew swift backlash from Kenyans, many of whom accused him of looking down on hardworking citizens who rely on the sector for their daily income.
“What happened to bottom-up? Respect every hustle; those are the people keeping the system running,” one user wrote. Others argued his remarks were at odds with President Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which prioritizes uplifting hustlers and small businesses.
Mutua also renewed his criticism of boda bodas, blaming them for worsening traffic congestion and eroding the “aesthetics” of Kenyan cities. He insisted no modern city should tolerate their presence.
However, Kenyans pushed back, arguing that government failure to fix infrastructure—not boda boda riders—was the root cause of urban traffic chaos.
Weeks later, President Ruto himself dismissed any proposals to ban boda bodas, affirming their central role in his 2022 presidential win and pledging continued support. “In the past election, two groups were at the center of ensuring leaders got elected: boda bodas and mama mbogas. There is nobody who should threaten the boda boda business,” Ruto said at State House, Nairobi.
