Kenyan Women Protest for End to Harassment

Kenyan women were in the streets of Nairobi Tuesday in protest of motorbike taxi drivers who allegedly assaulted a woman last week.


The protesters, organized by the Federation of Women Lawyers, gave the capital’s police chief a petition seeking assurance of their safety and protection from all forms of harassment.


A video widely circulated on Kenyan social media platforms showed a woman motorcycle driver being manhandled by a dozen angry men and screaming for help in Nairobi last week.


The incident prompted a public outcry, and many women called on police to take action against drivers who act without regard to the law.


Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta also called for a general crackdown on motorcycle riders. Kenyan radio station Capital FM quoted police chief Hilary Mutyambai saying officers have arrested 229 riders and seized at least 900 bikes over the past two days.


The relationship between motorcycle riders and the public has deteriorated due to a perceived tendency for drivers to not follow traffic rules and to use violence to intimidate motorists and pedestrians.


The Federation of Women Lawyers has called for the creation of a task force to curb rogue riders.