A viral video of a woman motorist being assaulted by motorcycle taxi (boda boda) riders along Nairobi’s Forest Road on Monday has sparked public outrage in Kenya, with Ester Passaris, a vocal Women Representative, calling for harsh punishments against the offenders. With the incident happening against the backdrop of the International Women’s Day, Passaris joined several hundreds of people led by Women Lawyers-Kenya (FIDA-Kenya) in protesting the lawlessness by motorcycle riders. She emphasized that the suspects ought to be ashamed over their actions. According to a press brief with The Standard, “What the men did to her (victim), shows they are totally uncultured, lack character and have no respect,” Passaris said. “I want them paraded. They need to be locked up for a long time so that they can serve as an example [to others intending to engage in such habits],” the Nairobi Woman Representative added. Passaris urged the government to immediately act on this matter and bring the culprits to book. She further highlighted that the issue has been happening to women for a long time and urgent action needs to be taken to avert the crisis. She stressed that it shouldn’t take arrests and prosecutions for the government to act on the boda boda menace and impunity on Kenyan roads. So far, authorities have arrested 32 suspects and impounded five motorcycles linked to the attack on the women motorist.
