Boda boda trade improves lives of riders in Gulu town

In the last five years, the number of boda boda motorcycles in Gulu has gone up from about 1,000 to about 5,000 currently. Several youth, especially the unemployed and war affected ones, have become attracted to the trade to earn a living.

It is preferred as the most affordable and available transport means in the town, just like in other upcountry towns, due to the impracticability of getting a large number of people heading to the same place that taxis in Kampala do.

I sat down Peter Oyet Wandera commonly called Wande, a boda boda rider with ‘six years’ experience’, to find out how it is to run the trade in Gulu town which most people claim has the highest number of boda bodas, coming second to Kampala.

Mr Wandera used to crush stones at Laroo Quarry works but quit for boda boda due to health concerns in 2007. “I was feeling chest pain all the time while working at the stone quarry. So I started on a low note and contributed with a colleague of mine to buy a motorcycle,” he recounts.

Sometime in 2008, he bought a second-hand motorcycle at Shs1.8 million.
“I was becoming tired of sharing part of my money with my colleague which seriously affected my planning,” he said. He bought a new one at Shs3.3 million early last month.

Family affair
Mr Wandera is married to two women and is caring for eight children, including three belonging to his deceased brother. Most notably, he put up a three-roomed structure connected to solar power at his home in Laroo near Gulu Municipality. He also recently bought a new plot of land in Omel in Awach Sub-county at Shs4 million.

He says he is planning to construct a house for his younger wife, Janet. He already bought 20 iron sheets for the purpose. Mr Wandera, just like the rest of the boda boda riders, take home ‘a clean’ (profit) of Shs50,000 on most days of the week. On a bad day, he takes home about Shs 20,000.

That makes about Shs1.3 million a month. A graduate teacher, after spending at least 15 years studying – through primary, secondary and university education - gets about Shs400,000. So, it is not a surprise to find some teachers running boda boda businesses at night after finishing with the class.

Mr Wandera is also involved in a savings group, where it is mandatory that one saves at least Shs10,000 a day, failure of which attracts a fine.
His advice to fellow riders is to work hard and save. Above all, he feels the best way is for one to have his own motorcycle.

The owners of the motorcycles demand at least Shs50,000 weekly. “If you want to survive in this business, avoid betting, of any kind, and drinking,” Mr Wandera, who says he neither takes alcohol nor smokes, says.

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