The anarchy ruling Kenya’s roads has finally triggered a high-stakes legal battle. Nairobi lawyer Rogers Monda has dragged the government to the High Court, accusing the state of criminal negligence for failing to regulate the chaotic boda boda sector that has turned city streets into death traps.

This petition is a desperate scream for order in a sector defined by impunity. Monda’s suit argues that the government’s abdication of duty has birthed a "dangerous environment" where motorcycle-related accidents are not just frequent but often escalate into mob violence, sexual assault, and arson. By naming the Attorney-General, the Inspector-General of Police, and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) as respondents, the lawsuit aims to pierce the veil of bureaucratic indifference that has allowed this crisis to fester.

A Sector Ruled by Jungle Law

The statistics cited in the petition paint a harrowing picture of a country under siege by two wheels. Nearly half of all road fatalities in Kenya now involve motorcycles. Yet, beyond the grisly death toll lies a deeper rot: the culture of lawlessness where riders, often operating in organized gangs, terrorize other motorists with zero fear of consequence.

"There is an apparent link between the State's inaction and the continued violations," Monda’s filing reads. He points to the rampant disregard for basic laws—riders without helmets, carrying excess passengers, and ignoring traffic lights—as evidence of a systemic failure of enforcement.

• Mob Justice Epidemic: The petition highlights the terrifying trend where minor accidents spiral into lynchings and the torching of vehicles by boda boda mobs, often in full view of passive police officers.
• Failed Directives: Despite a Presidential directive in March 2022 ordering the re-registration of all riders, the initiative collapsed, leaving thousands of undocumented operators on the roads.

The Demand for Accountability

Monda is seeking conservatory orders compelling the police to deploy rapid-response units specifically for motorcycle incidents. It is a bold demand for a structural overhaul of how the state polices its roads. The lawsuit effectively puts the government on trial for every life lost to a reckless rider and every car burnt by a mob.

As the High Court prepares to hear this landmark case, the boda boda sector stands at a crossroads. Will this legal hammer finally force the regulation that politics has failed to deliver, or will the chaos continue to reign supreme?