Thailand’s Stalled Transition to Electric Motorcyclces
Tom Courtright · 17 November 2025
Bangkok’s streets are increasingly filled with sleek Chinese electric cars — BYD sedans drive past malls and food stalls, and Neta EVs…
Blog
Research, field notes, and analysis from the Lubyanza team.
AppsCOVID-19Data & surveysEast AfricaElectric vehiclesField notesGetting startedIncomePolicy & regulationRider profilesSafetyStagesWomen
Moto-Taxis in Thailand
Tom Courtright · 25 October 2025
Two Cities, Two Systems: First Impressions of Bangkok’s Moto-Taxis
Driving Drivers Licenses
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 15 August 2025
Is price the only obstacle between boda riders and driving licences?
Stage signposts face resistance
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 26 May 2024
After years of discussing the idea, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has finally embarked on installing boda stage signposts…
Of Mechanics and Yangas
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 11 April 2024
From punctures to complex engine repairs, there’s a long list of fixes needed by a boda rider that take us to the garage. While these…
The Contrasts Between Kampala’s Bodaboda and Nairobi’s Roadway Pioneers
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 9 December 2023
East Africa’s boda cities, Kampala and Nairobi, have a lot in common as well as disparities in the transportation sector. The busy streets…
Breaking Boda Barriers: Women Join the Business
Kalungi James · 16 October 2023
It’s no secret that Kampala’s bodaboda is a male-dominated business. But in recent years, female bodaboda riders have been making their presence known on the city’s bustling streets by increasingly taking up the occupation. There are several reasons for this, including the high u
Running out of Data: Apps Struggle in Kampala
Kalungi James · 21 August 2023
As boda bodas have taken over much of Uganda’s roadways over the years, causing widespread concern several boda boda apps have emerged, aiming to corner a market on digital ride-hailing and provide a more convenient and safe alternative to traditional hailing methods. While SafeB
The Boda Gaali
Kalungi James · 25 July 2023
In the bustling city of Kampala, amidst the chaotic traffic and honking horns, there is a unique mode of transport that has stood the test of time — the boda gaali, also known as the bicycle boda or bicycle-taxi. The boda gaali can be seen weaving through the streets of Kampala a
Quarterly Survey 4: Apps are out, revenues are up
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 4 June 2023
In the first week of April, Lubyanza Research Group conducted and finished its fourth quarterly boda survey.
Bodas reach saturation in Kampala
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 16 May 2023
The bodaboda industry has gone through significant changes over the last few decades, becoming a leading mode of transportation across…
Mulago Hospital is overwhelmed by riders without helmets
Kalungi James · 1 April 2023
Wanyana Steven, a lubyanza rider who stays in Bweyogerere, woke up in Mulago National Referral Hospital on a recent Saturday morning after a close brush with death. The last thing he remembered was that he set off from the city center the previous evening to go back home and rest
Third Quarterly Survey: How to Make Money on a Boda
Kalungi James · 22 March 2023
In early January, Kalungi and Geofrey spent a week observing boda riders for the third Quarterly Boda Survey. This time, however, with…
Third Quarterly Survey
Kalungi James · 16 March 2023
Executive Summary
From Kigali to Kampala: The role of governance in boda boda safety reforms
Tom Courtright · 12 March 2023
By Geofrey Ndhogezi and Tom Courtright
Masaka’s Story
Kalungi James · 4 March 2023
After agriculture, the boda boda industry is estimated to be the second largest employer of the youth in Uganda. Many youth milk profits from this business but are sometimes late to re-invest in other more productive ventures that can help them when they are older or are less abl
Rectifying governance-related differences might help solve the chaotic road use and the resultant…
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 19 February 2023
Reflecting on The Wheels of Change-safe and sustainable motorcycles in sub Saharan Africa, a report by the FIA Foundation, it looks obvious…
Civilians, breakdown trucks gang up with police to extort bodas during “clean up” exercise
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 1 February 2023
The rampant chaos on the streets of Kampala is so distressing that a crackdown on traffic offenders was inevitable. Boda bodas, who are…
Guest Article: The Promise of Online Bodas
Tom Courtright · 25 January 2023
By Alon Muhame
Cheers John!
Tom Courtright · 9 January 2023
Road traffic regulation in Kampala staggers on
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 23 December 2022
The Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA), whose population is slightly over 3.5 million, faces terrible traffic congestion, road rage…
Second Quarterly Boda Report
Tom Courtright · 27 November 2022
Earlier this year, we accepted the only way to deal with the lack of comparable boda boda data in Kampala was for us to start collecting…
Motorcycle Taxis, Extended Lockdown, and Inequality at Work in Kampala, Uganda.
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 9 September 2022
This article is adapted from Motorcycle Taxis, Extended Lockdown, and Inequality at Work in Kampala, Uganda by Richard Mallet, Hakimu…
Interesting idea.
Tom Courtright · 22 August 2022
To Ban Imports Or Not To Ban
Tom Courtright · 15 August 2022
Last week, after it was clear the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA)’s most recent attempt at boda boda registration had failed, the…
Boda registration extended amidst disagreements
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 9 August 2022
In February of this year, the State Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs Mr. Kabuye Kyofatogabye gave an ultimatum of July 1 for…
Congratulations 👍. This is a great milestone!
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 4 August 2022
Introducing the quarterly Kampala boda report
Tom Courtright · 14 July 2022
Introduction
Surviving the Fuel Crunch in Uganda
Tom Courtright · 13 June 2022
by Geofrey Ndhogezi and Tom Courtright
Motorcycles and the Media in Tanzania
Tom Courtright · 7 May 2022
Over the past month I’ve been compiling a database of newspaper articles on bodabodas in Tanzania (160+ as of now, and that’s just the…
Tuktuks in Kampala.
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 27 April 2022
In the streets of Kampala, two-wheelers swarm all available space, while matatus and cars push through the center. Rarely seen is the…
How to organize bodabodas in Kampala.
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 2 April 2022
Before we go reaching for new haphazard regulations, we should first use what we have.
Field Notes #4: Boda Bodas in Tanzania
Tom Courtright · 27 March 2022
Following the tradition of these field notes pieces, this is slightly more personal. In January, I returned to Tanzania, where I grew…
Busting Boda Boda Myths
Tom Courtright · 18 February 2022
As I pointed out in my article for African Arguments earlier this week, boda bodas have been marginalized in society and sidelined from…
Riders Organize to Avoid Another CBD Ban
Tom Courtright · 21 January 2022
by Geofrey Ndhogezi
Boda riders' response to the proposed boda-free zone in Kampala.
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 21 January 2022
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has once again intensified its efforts to organize the city. Under the theme "Smart City", the…
What To Watch in 2022
Tom Courtright · 2 January 2022
Last year saw significant stopping and starting for boda bodas in Uganda and across East Africa. Curfews and lockdowns continued to…
Field Notes #3: Mixing It Up in Freetown
Tom Courtright · 17 December 2021
The steep, winding roads of Freetown, Sierra Leone can surprise you with their transportation diversity, though sweat will likely drip down…
Budgeting for Moving by Boda
Tom Courtright · 14 December 2021
Grabbing a boda in much of Uganda requires either knowing the landscape or how to negotiate, or both. But why do trips cost what they cost?
Nkolera Mu Kkubo
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 30 November 2021
Mpaawo atamanyi mulimu gwenkola. Nkolera mu lujjudde. Sseekwekelera. Buli gwensisinkana ayanguyilwa okukolagana nange. Byenkola…
Informal Multimodal Transportation
Tom Courtright · 31 October 2021
Multimodal transportation — meaning the integration of different travel modes — is widely recognized as a key element of an effective…
Getting a Motorcycle #2: the Loan Scheme
Tom Courtright · 24 October 2021
Boda drivers are desperate to become owners of their own motorcycles — but it’s not an easy process, nor is it cheap.
An Interview With Teddy Kabatoro, A Woman Boda Rider.
Tom Courtright · 12 October 2021
In Fort Portal, Kabarole District, I met Teddy Kabatoro, vice chairperson of the Kabarole Womens Boda Boda Rider and Farmer Association…
Of Boda Riders and Bus Touts
Tom Courtright · 4 October 2021
A bus company is trying to leave touts behind, to boda riders benefit.
Old Goods, New Movements
Tom Courtright · 23 September 2021
While boda bodas tend to spend most of their time moving people, they also move goods — but the way they move cargo, as it’s called in…
Trials of an E-Mobility Pioneer
Tom Courtright · 12 September 2021
By Geofrey Ndhogezi
Surviving Lockdown
Tom Courtright · 25 July 2021
Boda drivers are in crisis.
Getting a Motorcycle #1: Kibaluwa & the Mugagga
Tom Courtright · 21 July 2021
By Geofrey Ndhogezi
Boda Bodas Across the Continent
Tom Courtright · 19 July 2021
From Tom’s twitter:
Field Notes # 2 — on Digital Maps
Tom Courtright · 12 July 2021
As door-to-door transporters of people and goods across cities, boda boda drivers navigate the city streets more than anyone else in the…
Field Notes #1 — on Fort Portal
Tom Courtright · 17 June 2021
Fort Portal is a newly-declared city of a little over 50,000 people in Western Uganda, near the base of the Rwenzori mountains with the…
Stage Guys Part II — Stage Relationships
Tom Courtright · 5 May 2021
At the stage, boda drivers most important relationships are with local business owners, residents, passing drivers, and authority figures.
Memories of Lockdown
Tom Courtright · 28 April 2021
by Geofrey Ndhogezi
Stage Guys Part I — Starting Stages
Tom Courtright · 7 March 2021
Moving around Kampala and all across towns in Uganda, groups of boda riders are hanging out next to shops, intersections, and wide spots…
Creativity in extortion
Tom Courtright · 11 January 2021
If you’ve ever been applauded for being creative, it’s likely that you created a masterpiece of some sort and you’re proud of it. Normally…
Covid-19 vs. Bajaj Ward
Tom Courtright · 12 December 2020
One of the most common and well-founded complaints towards boda bodas is their safety record. In Mulago hospital there is the nicknamed…
Eyoo
Tom Courtright · 30 November 2020
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>This man here putting on a safe boda helmet carrying a gun, these are the same…
The promoters of Kampala boda free zone should read this!
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 24 November 2020
“For now, we can start to shift our mindset from moving fast to arriving.”
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 24 November 2020
Accessibility; or Why We Move
Tom Courtright · 18 November 2020
Recently, a large, historic fig tree in Nairobi was scheduled to be cut down to make way for the Nairobi Expressway, and environmental…
Introducing Lubyanza’s Editors
Tom Courtright · 2 November 2020
This blog is the product of conversations between Tom Courtright and Geofrey Ndhogezi — a student of urban planning and a boda rider —…
Hi everyone.
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 30 October 2020
It's here that everyone will learn about everything from the behavior of boda riders, the unique accessibility that boda bodas offer, the…
The following article was initially sent to a certain Ugandan news paper during the ban of bodaboda…
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 12 October 2020
Mobility Faces Paralysis.
Mobility Faces Paralysis (June 15)
Tom Courtright · 10 October 2020
This article was initially sent to a Ugandan newspaper to be published during the COVID-19 ban on boda boda operations in Kampala. The…
Great write up. Thank you Daniel!
Geofrey Ndhogezi · 3 August 2020
One more thing ought not to be missed: We are living in a nation where confusion is promoted. Where transparency is deliberately…