Kamenu Bodabodas “Gun Down” Thika Police.

Thika residents were on Saturday treated to a thrilling football friendly match between bodaboda operators and Thika police officers at the MKU Graduation Pavilion Grounds where the riders won the match 3-2.

In the first of its kind in the area, the match that was organised by Thika West Sub-County Commander Beatrice Kiraguri and Kamenu Sub-Location Bodaboda Association (KSBA) was geared towards drawing the two warring groups into a working relationship to enhance security in the area.

Area MP Eng. Patrick Wainaina donated the trophy that was won by the bodaboda riders.

The officers were drawn from Thika and Makongeni Police Stations as well as Administration Police posts across the sub-county.

Speaking after the match, the chief guest Kiambu County Deputy Police Commander Chief Inspector Munga urged the riders to weed out criminal elements in their midst as those who painted the sector with a bad image.

He reminded them that without good security, the area would not attract investors thus reduce their potential to earn more from a robust economy.

“Most of these (criminal) cases we find amongst you are brought about by ‘squad riders’. Kindly, if you have to lend your bike to someone else, ensure that it is a person who is of good morals otherwise you might find yourself in trouble having to answer for crimes you know nothing about,” advised Munga.

He appealed to the riders to come up with programmes to diversify their income through various business activities to ensure they were economically stable and not depend on their bikes alone for an income.

The Thika police boss Beatrice Kiraguri said her office was open to all residents and urged them to make use of it in order to secure the area.

“My doors are wide open for anyone with information that will enhance security in this area. There is no need to fear the police as we are trained to treat each information brought to our desks with a lot of confidentiality,” said Kiraguri.

She added that Saturday’s activity was just the beginning of a series of police-residents interactions aimed at bringing together the two groups into a working relationship.

John Mwangi Njuguna, who is the Personal Assistant to Thika MP, said that their office had set aside sh. 500,000 to ensure all bodaboda operators acquired all the requisites documents required to operate their businesses.

Kamenu Ward MCA Raphael Chege Waithumbi warned the riders against harbouring criminal elements amongst them as this would only aggravate the already bad blood with the law enforcers. He also urged them to ensure they adhered to all traffic rules so as not to get themselves in trouble with the law.

Other leaders who spoke included the Thika District Business Association (TDBA) Chairman Alfred Wanyoike and the chairperson of Thika Community Policing Committee Bishop Ezekiel Karanja.