The Rapid Spread of Covid-19 Pandemic and Its Psychosocial and Economic Challenges on Motorcycle Riders in the Transport Industry in Kimili Subcounty, Bungoma County, Kenya

Abstract

The spread of Covid-19 pandemic in East Africa has greatly undermined the daily economic activities of the motorbike operators in the region during its first phase. The motor bike riders (boda boda) have been condemned for the fast spread of Covid-19 due to the nature of their business of moving people from place to place and deep into communities. Boda boda transport system has been embraced by most people in East Africa since it is fast, flexible and cheap and has become more popular among the poor segments of the society. However, with the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic the East African governments have put spotlight on the motorbike transport industry as a weak link in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. In Uganda for instance President Yoweri Museveni had to ban boda boda operators from carrying passengers for the fear of community-to-community spread of the pandemic. The consequences of the negative perception against the boda boda operators carried psychosocial as well as economic repercussions with it such as intense fear, obsessive behaviour, anxiety and stigma. The purpose of this study was to investigate Covid-19 pandemic and its psychosocial as well as economic challenges on the motorbike transport in Kimilili Sub County, Bungoma County, Kenya. The study population comprised of all the motorcycle riders within Kimilili town. The sample size comprised of 24 motor bike riders sampled from the 12 main town stages from which 2 participants were selected through simple random sampling. The study adopted qualitative research design where descriptive survey was employed. The study employed Focused group Discussion (FGD) tool for data collection. The FGD involved the participants in a discussion on common psychosocial problems affecting the boda boda operators. Data was collected and analyzed qualitatively then presented in prose. The results revealed that motorbike riders had faced numerous challenges ranging from reduced income and stigma to police harassment and corruption. The study recommends reforms that can restore sanity and dignity to the boda boda public transport industry such as financial empowerment, social protection, training of staff and counselling services.