Police in Meru are investigating motorcycle theft incidents raised by a section of boda boda riders in the area.
While confirming the reports, North Imenti sub-county police boss Ezekiel Chepkwony noted that they recently received a case where a rider was killed barely a week after another was found dead.
He assured the boda boda operators in the region of maintaining calm as police hunt down the suspects.
“The most recent incident happened on Thursday when a rider was killed in the Kaaga area. Another incident happened at Giaki recently. We have so far recovered two motorcycles. Investigations are ongoing to nab the suspects,” he stated.
The boda boda riders led by their chairman Charles Thuranira decried that the cases had started to reduce until three weeks ago.
They stated that eight motorcycles had gone missing and that they suspected that the thefts were done by criminals posing as passengers.
To mitigate the issue at hand, the association has formed a separate association to protect boda boda riders who work at night in order to enhance their safety.
“Our members have lost eight motorcycles in the last three weeks. The situation worsened two weeks ago when one rider was hijacked by criminals posing as passengers. Most of the cases are happening in the evening,” Thuranira stated.
“We have also brought together riders who work at night to form an association for identification. They have been sensitised to ensure they inform their colleagues whenever they are hired at night. This will enhance safety and ease rescue efforts,” he added.