Introducing Lubyanza’s Editors
This blog is the product of conversations between Tom Courtright and Geofrey Ndhogezi — a student of urban planning and a boda rider — about bodabodas and their roles in the social fabric of Kampala. Together, Geofrey and Tom have investigated the impact of electric motorcycles, the habits and behaviors of boda riders, the history of Kampala and the role of bodabodas in city and national politics. To get this blog started, we decided to interview one another on our backgrounds and interests in boda riders, to give you a taste of what we intend to tackle. We will publish articles as we see fit — likely every other week or so. Thanks for joining us!
Part I: Tom interviews Geofrey
Tom: So Geofrey, tell me how you got started working as a boda boda driver?
Geofrey: It was a tough moment in November 2011 when I was a hawker and I lost my capital to thieves. I never wanted to change from a hawker to a boda rider; I used to despise boda work. However, I was without a job, and I had to pay for rent, electricity, and every other utility. Then came a friend of mine praising bodaboda work! He even promised to give me his bike to try it out. I couldn’t help but ride. So the following day I was a boda rider!
Tom: What have you learned through your experiences with SafeBoda and Zembo (an electric bodaboda company) about the dynamics and future of the boda boda industry that you would like to share with others?
Geofrey: It’s now 9 years since I joined the boda business, two years since I joined safe boda, and one year since I got a Zembo electric bike. Over the years, I’ve learnt a lot. I’ve had happy moments and miserable moments. I’ve experienced chaotic traffic flow, road crashes, prejudice, extortion, manipulation, threats of boda ban, humiliation, harassment, and a lot more. But most importantly, I learnt that Ugandans can’t do without bodaboda!
Tom: Can you tell me about your nickname Lubyanza? What does that mean?
Geofrey: Boda riders basically operate at stages, like bus stops, where they park as they wait for passengers. However, some boda riders choose not to belong to any stage so they keep riding, picking and dropping passengers until they go home. Every such rider is locally called lubyanza. Because I worked the lubyanza-style for too long, everyone called me Lubyanza even when I got a stage.
Tom: What are the topics you are most interested in exploring on this blog?
Geofrey: I wish to explore details of boda work, motorcycles, E-mobility, road safety, urbanism and transportation planning. Because I think those topics will enable us to understand the social, political, economic and environmental impact of bodaboda.
Part II: Geofrey interviews Tom
Geofrey: What is your main reason for learning about bodaboda?
I first became interested in bodabodas when I lived in Kampala in late 2017, and again from 2018–2019, and I took them everywhere in the city. They struck me as the perfect solution to Kampala’s traffic — they can fit between bigger vehicles, they don’t take up space or create jam (unlike private cars, which do), they are cheaper and less polluting than private hires (taxis, to non-Ugandans), and of course they get you from your door to your destination, all the way. Yet, they are marginalized, manipulated, and yes, generally less safe than other modes of transportation. So I want to know — how do they fit into broader society, and how can they keep what is great about them while improving their safety and working conditions?
Geofrey: So far what have you discovered about bodaboda?
Tom: Bodabodas are, as you say, indispensable to life. They are critical for Kampala’s generally vibrant nightlife, they make it easy for small shops to operate, and they allow restaurants and businesses to conduct deliveries cheaply. Bodabodas are also a lifeline in rural areas, which is something I’d like to know more about. They’ve also been manipulated by the government, who initially saw them as a constituency and a source of jobs for young men, but of course took it to far by creating essentially a criminal enterprise with Bodaboda 2010. Additionally, perhaps most interestingly for me, bodabodas traditionally rely on trust, and are part of a web of social bonds in neighborhoods and across the city.
Geofrey: Why would you wish to explore boda details with me?
Tom: We met in June while doing research on Zembo’s electric motorcycles, and I really enjoyed our conversation — you had a lot of insights on the bodaboda industry, and helped me understand things from the bodaboda riders perspective. You have a great eye for details, a similar passion and I enjoyed exploring the big and small questions with you — so I was excited to be able to create something with you!
Geofrey: Could there be a possibility that some people for example boda riders, motorcycle manufacturers, government entities etc will benefit from our findings?
Tom: I hope so! That’s certainly my aim for our blog. I think there is a big gap in understanding between boda riders, regulators and the public. I think we can together demystify bodaboda riders to regulators, passengers and others, and also help explain regulations to boda riders. Ultimately, I want us to tell stories, answer questions and ask new ones — to benefit everyone.
