Digitization
Boda boda chairmen from 31 counties are set to receive laptops to help in the registration of members and digitization of records. The Sh3 million drive by Watu Credit targets to ensure a proper record of all boda boda operators in the selected counties and at the same time assist in the management of Savings And Credit Cooperatives records.
Watu Credit Sales and Marketing Manager Victor Kiptenya said the move was informed by the need to help the sector grow and weed out criminals who are giving it a bad name.
“Boda boda is a very key sector in this country. As Watu Credit we have financed over 500,000 boda boda’s and that is why we are keen to support the sector’s growth,” he said. The donation, which also comes with furniture for bodaboda offices will gradually be scaled up to cover all the 47 counties.
Speaking in Kisumu during a handing over ceremony for boda boda chairmen from Bomet, Kericho, Migori, Kisii, Homa Bay, Siaya, Kisumu, Busia, Vihiga, Busia, Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Trans Nzoia counties, Kiptenya said the gadgets will help the sector leadership to keep an up-to-date record of all their members for security reasons and economic empowerment.
“With these laptops they are able to register all the bodaboda operators in their areas of jurisdiction so that at a click of a button the information can be accessed. They will also be able to easily update their SACCO registers among others,” he said.
The lender has so far a data base of 17,000 chairmen overseeing 26,000 stages, who are targeted for the exercise. Bodaboda Safety Association of Kenya Deputy President John Tirop lauded the initiative saying it was set to streamline operations in the sector.
Tirop said criminals were hiding in the sector, adding that development of a proper data base for all bodaboda operators nationally, will help in taming the runaway crime involving the two wheelers. “With proper registration and data base it will be very easy to identify and provide information at a click of a button whenever there are concerns,” he said.
This will also help track rogue members who run away with lenders and sacco money. “This is going to restore sanity in this sector. I am therefore appealing to all members who have taken loans from our sacco’s or boda boda’s on credit to pay their debts,” said Tirop.