Boda-Boda Pakalast: mobility and the politics of informal public transport in Uganda

The objective of this article is to address mobility as a crucial element in enabling transport workers to influence the politics of public transport in Uganda. It examines how the mobile capabilities of informal motorcycle taxi drivers empower them to withstand formalization and expulsion attempts by state institutions. Considering the specific conditions of informal transport in Uganda, the article identifies four mobility-driven strategies through which the so-called “Boda-Boda” riders actively or passively influence the politics of informal public transport. By using strategies such as protests, evasions, self-organization and political embeddedness, they advocate for their professional interests and protect their informality. For these strategies, Boda-Boda riders rely on their motorcycle-powered mobility to either confront the state or evade it if necessary. While remaining outside the law Boda-Bodas do cooperate with various state institutions and often lend their mobility to political actors. In the process, they have become indispensable elements of the political and economic systems of the country. Contrary to some depictions of informal transporters as mere recipients of urban planning, the article thus advocates for considering them as active and influential participants within policymaking processes.