In Eldoret, a boda boda driver reported his motorcycle missing to the business that sold it to him on credit for unspecified reasons, and as a result, he resorted to burying it in his property.
Officials from the business and police officers are seen in an internet video recovering the motorcycle from the man’s compound after conducting a search.
The search-and-find mechanism used by Bodaboda credit businesses to find stolen motorcycles has drawn criticism from Kenyans for potential abuse.
Some customers have complained that when the loans are repaid, the businesses find the motorcycles using the trackers that are installed in them and steal them.
A viral video showed many men cleaning out muddy motorcycles while wearing reflector jackets.
“He has buried something here, bring it up and what number plate is this? Good job, detective the bike has been recovered,” one of the men stated.
The incident has sparked debate among a section of Kenyans who questioned why the lenders in the past have been unable to locate bikes that were reported stolen after the owners finished repaying the loans.
“This seems like an inside job, how come they can not trace the genuine cases that are reported by riders across the country,” one questioned.
Others have claimed that the companies are preying on innocent young men who were seeking to make an honest living in the transport business.
The lenders have been on the spot with Kenyans ganging up on them for handing out loans to riders at high interest and stealing the bike once the loan is fully paid, claims which have not been proven.
Some motorists repay the loan for up to 390 days and end up paying almost double the price only to lose their bikes after repaying the loan.
Activist Boniface Mwangi and Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai have in numerous cases called upon the DCI to investigate the numerous cases reported by innocent Kenyans who are left broke.
