Nairobi court fines 200 boda boda riders Sh35, 000 each
200 boda boda riders arrested during a police crackdown have been charged at the Milimani law courts and fined Sh35,000 each for contravening rules.
By RICHARD MUNGUTI
Two hundred boda boda riders arrested on Tuesday were fined Sh35,000 each for flouting traffic rules.
The riders, who were arrested hours before President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered a crackdown against them, were arraigned at the Milimani law courts in Nairobi.
Traffic police drove lorry loads of riders into the Milimani law courts precints between 9am and 11am, where they were detained at the basement cells before being produced before Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu.
The traffic offenders were led into the courtroom by court orderlies in groups of 50.
All dressed in black leather jackets, the riders sat pensively at the courtroom as they followed the proceedings.
The charges filed against the riders were those of obstruction and driving their motorbikes along the pavements of various city roads.
A court clerk read the charges in Kiswahili to the riders who admitted the charges as drafted by the traffic police officers.
“You are charged with obstructing other road users and driving along road pavements contrary to the traffic rules,” the common charge stated.
“Yes that is true,” each of the riders answered.
The riders pleaded for leniency with some confessing to Ms Kimilu that, “It was their first time to be arraigned in court.”
Others mitigated they had left hospital following serious road accidents.
“I was involved in a serious road accident and I am nursing serious injuries. I am the sole breadwinner with school-going children and I have no other source of income,” a rider mitigated upon being convicted.
Another rider, Morris Owuor defended himself saying he was arrested after dropping a passenger.
However, Ms Kimilu imposed a fine of Sh35,000 or serve a month in jail for default.
A rider who denied the charges of obstruction and driving along the pavement was released on a cash bail of Sh40,000. The case will be mentioned in two weeks for further directions.
