The National Boda Boda Riders’ Union has partnered with Honda to supply motorcycles to more than 200 riders across the country under a hire-purchase financing model.
According to Frank Mawejje, chairperson of the union, riders will be able to acquire motorcycles valued at Shs 7 million with an initial deposit of just Shs 250,000, followed by weekly payments of Shs 70,000 over two years.
The motorcycles will be distributed through boda boda Saccos in regions including Karamoja, Kisoro, Arua, and Kampala.
“We want to abolish the system where someone gives you a rabbit and you pay back a bull,” Mawejje said. “Our model ensures riders can afford motorcycles without being trapped in debt.”
He added that while the original financing programme focused on electric bikes, but their members requested that it be extended to fuel-powered motorcycles as well.
The boda boda industry is estimated to employ more than two million Ugandans, making it the country’s second-largest employer after agriculture and the largest source of jobs in urban areas.
Mawejje urged riders to join Saccos in their localities, saying the union works strictly through organised groups as part of efforts to formalise the sector and deliver long-term benefits rather than one-off handouts. Maria Namusoke Kamoga, managing director of Honda, described the partnership as a game-changer for both the transport and manufacturing sectors.
She said giving riders access to reliable and durable motorcycles would raise their income levels, enabling them to better support their families and contribute more meaningfully to the economy.
“We want to see real impact in income levels,” Kamoga said, noting that the collaboration also aligns with broader efforts to professionalise the sector.
She praised the union’s leadership for driving reforms at the grassroots. Dickson Ssempara, a boda boda rider in Gombe Division, welcomed the partnership, saying it would free riders from exploitation.
“Most boda boda riders have bosses who exploit them unfairly, and we end up getting nothing from our work,” he said. “This partnership will allow us to own our motorcycles at affordable prices.”
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