For weeks, growing frustration has been spreading among Nairobi bodaboda riders who claim to have lost their savings to a company they trusted.
The anger reached its peak when hundreds of them marched into the offices of Huduma Credit, a lending firm associated with city businessman Jamal Ibrahim Hassan, better known as Jamal Roho Safi.
The protesters accused the company of scamming over 2,500 Nairobi residents of more than KSh24 million through what they described as a fake motorbike deposit scheme.
Many of the victims were young riders who had been promised brand new electric motorbikes after paying a deposit of KSh9,500 each. They were told that the remaining amount would be cleared through daily installments of KSh220 for two years.
The plan sounded realistic to most, especially since it targeted those struggling to afford conventional motorbikes.
However, more than two months after making their payments, the riders say they have neither received their bikes nor refunds from the company.
Anger boiled over on Thursday when the disappointed depositors stormed Huduma Credit’s premises in Nairobi, chanting and demanding justice.
On arrival, they found deserted offices, empty desks, and piles of unsigned contracts scattered on tables. Reporters at the scene described an atmosphere of confusion and disbelief as some protesters accused the company of shutting down its operations to escape responsibility.
One of the furious riders shouted that Huduma Credit was “a crime scene,” adding that they only wanted either their bikes or their money back.
As the situation intensified, Jamal Roho Safi finally showed up to address the angry crowd. He denied all allegations of fraud and instead blamed the delays on supply challenges with a partner company that was supposed to deliver the electric motorbikes.
Jamal assured the customers that the situation was under control, promising that 2,136 pending deliveries in Nairobi would be cleared within a week.
He further pledged to refund anyone who was not satisfied with the new arrangements. In his defense, Jamal maintained that Huduma Credit was a legitimate microfinance institution, not a scam, and that he regretted the inconvenience caused to his clients.
Despite his explanation, doubts have continued to surround the company’s operations. A closer look at the payment structure revealed that each rider would eventually pay around KSh170,100 for the bike, an amount almost KSh80,000 more than the market value of a new Spyro electric motorbike, which costs between KSh90,000 and KSh100,000.
Financial experts and activists have argued that such inflated costs expose unsuspecting youths to exploitation under the disguise of empowerment programs.
