Laikipia County has sparked a heated national debate after unveiling improvised “boda boda ambulances” aimed at transporting expectant mothers to health facilities in remote areas.
The move, announced this week, was meant to help solve a practical problem — but many Kenyans have reacted with anger and disbelief.
The county government, led by Governor Joshua Irungu, introduced the motorcycle ambulances on Wednesday during a launch event in Nanyuki. Each vehicle is a regular motorcycle fitted with a sidecar that has a stretcher, first-aid kit and space for a medical attendant.
The idea is to use these bikes to reach places where large ambulances struggle because of poor roads and rough terrain.
Governor Irungu said the initiative was designed to reduce maternal deaths and make sure women in labour reach clinics and hospitals faster.
He pointed out that some parts of Laikipia North and Laikipia West lack good road access, and traditional ambulances often take too long to reach patients.
However, the plan has not been welcomed by many Kenyans online and in Laikipia itself. On social media platform X, dozens of residents have labelled the idea “primitive,” “unsafe,” and “unpractical.”
Critics asked how a heavily pregnant woman could travel comfortably in a small sidecar on a motorcycle — especially given how rough the county’s back roads can be.
Some residents argued that the county should have invested in proper ambulances instead of these makeshift carriers.
One commentator asked why the county could not buy several well-equipped vehicles for the price of one modern ambulance. Another wrote that bodaboda ambulances are no replacement for dignity and safety in healthcare.
Others questioned county priorities, saying taxpayers deserve better services than what looks like a quick, cheap solution.
Some critics also pointed out that boda boda rides can be risky even in ordinary use, raising fears about transporting expectant mothers on them.
The project is being run in partnership with the Eezer Initiative, a Swedish-backed programme that specialises in rural healthcare mobility.
According to the organisers, similar motorcycle ambulance models have been used in other African countries like Burundi, where they completed thousands of pregnancy-related transports in recent years.
For now, it remains unclear how widely the Laikipia model will be accepted, but the strong backlash highlights deep frustration over healthcare delivery and infrastructure in rural Kenya.
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