BY ANGELA R. KIURA
Boda boda operators in Embu County are counting losses estimated at over Sh200,000 following violent protests that rocked the area, leaving businesses vandalized, looted, and shut down.
The riders, under the Raising Generation Initiative — a community-based organization comprising about 150 members from Kirimari Ward — said their group premises were destroyed in the chaos, severely affecting their operations.
Speaking in Embu town, the group’s chairman Jackson Nyaga condemned individuals who infiltrate peaceful demonstrations to incite violence, saying such actions threaten the livelihoods of many hardworking youth.
“Our savings and investment office was ransacked and damaged. Some of our members’ service areas were also vandalized. It’s a major blow to the entire group,” said Nyaga.
The CBO was established to economically empower riders and had previously benefited from startup capital from Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire.
Despite the setback, the group thanked Governor Mbarire for her continued support of the sector and appealed to her administration for fresh intervention to help them recover from the losses.
They further called for peaceful engagement during protests, warning that continued violence risks eroding the progress made in empowering youth through organized boda boda initiatives.
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