4.1 Uganda’s boda boda riders are taking on new technology – and new organising challenges In Uganda, informal motorcycle taxi drivers are building work­ers’ power by joining unions and utilising digital technology. By Evelyn Lirri 1 When Kanyike Kiviri first joined the transport industry in 2003 as a motorcycle rider, he lived from hand-to-mouth. His savings were meagre and working conditions were harsh, just like it was for many riders in Uganda’s bustling capital, Kampala. Motorcycle taxis, or bo­da bodas as they are commonly known in Uganda, are a huge part of the public transportation network. With an estimated 200,000 boda boda riders in Kampala alone, they offer a quick means of transport for a significant number of the city’s residents where traffic conges­tion remains a major day-to-day challenge.“Because boda boda rid­ers earn on a day-to-day basis, it can be hard for them to save money. And when they fall sick or get into accidents, they have no fallback position. That’s why we decided to organise ourselves,” Kiviri ex­plains. Kiviri is a founding member and current treasurer of the Kampala Metropolitan Boda Boda Entrepreneurs(KAMBE), a cooperative soci­ety whose membership spans over 60,000 individuals. He says that through the cooperative, they are working towards transforming the largely informal industry by making it more structured, while at the same time improving the livelihoods of those engaged in it. 1 Evelyn Lirri is a Ugandan freelance journalist writing on health, en­vironment, human rights and development issues. 48 Riders on the Storm