Boda bodas barred from Lamu Old Town to preserve heritage

Boda boda riders who will be found doing business at the heart of Lamu Old Town will now be arrested and charged.

A meeting convened this week by the Lamu County government in collaboration with the national government and which brought together various stakeholders from the trade, tourism and cultural promotional groups, resolved to minimise and restrict bod boda movement in the Lamu archipelago in a move to preserve the Old Town.

Lamu currently has at least 150 boda boda riders.

The town is a world heritage site having been listed by Unesco in 2001.

MODERNITY

This requires that all elements of modern changes are to be avoided in order to preserve the culture and heritage of the ancient Swahili town.

Speaking to the Nation Thursday, Lamu County Trade, Tourism and Industrialisation Executive Dismas Mwasambu said boda boda riders will only be allowed to operate in the outskirts of Lamu Old Town and not within the town centre as has been the case.

In 2015, the county government of Lamu banned the use of automobiles including vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles in Lamu Old Town in order to preserve the cultural heritage of the historical town.

VEHICLES RESTRICTED

The only vehicles that allowed to operate on the Island are the Lamu hospital ambulance, a fire engine and the county garbage collection tractor.

Other vehicles allowed include the county commissioner’s official vehicle and motorcycles belonging to the Ministry of Public Health, water board, Kenya Power the county government.

In recent days, the efforts to preserve the Old Town seem to have been hampered by the influx of boda bodas and other forms of westernisation which threaten town’s status.

But Mr Mwasambu said the county will not sit back and watch as the town is degraded and therefore called on the boda boda riders to adhere to the new directive failure to which they will be arrested and fined.

NO GO ZONE

“The number of automobiles operating in the Lamu Old Town has grown immensely. This is something which is raising fears on the part of the county government. That’s why we have met and decided that boda bodas will only be allowed to operate in the outskirts of Lamu Town and not at the Old Town centre.

“We have agreed that those found operating within Lamu Old Town will be arrested and fined heavily. We will even ensure licenses of those breaching the new rule are confiscated,” said Mr Mwasambu.

He said the county is planning to develop a special ring road in future that will enable the boda bodas access the Old Town.

During the meeting, a special seafront management committee was also formed to undertake beautification, cleanliness and preservation of the Lamu Old Town seafront.