Revenues from Kenya's bicycle taxi sector surpassed those of the country's largest mobile network operator
Earnings from the sector exceeded those of Safaricom by Sh7 billion.
MAAK said the revenues were largely attributed to Kenyans' heavy dependence on the 600,000 commercial motor cycles in the country with each making an average of Sh1,000 a day. This translates to Sh600 million ($6 million) a day and Sh219 billion annually.
According to MAAK chairperson Isaac Kalua, about eight people depended on each motorcycle in operation for their daily livelihood.
"Until there is a solution to mass transport, there shall continue to be a need,” said Mr Kalua who noted that about 4.8 million people depend on motorcycles.
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The revenues generated by operators of the popular mode of transport means that they collectively made more than East Africa’s most profitable company, Safaricom, which had total revenues of Sh212 billion ($2.1 billion) in the 2016/17 financial year.
Motor bikes are a preferred mode of transport for many Kenyans and mores so over short distances. They are mainly used to beat traffic jams in major urban centres such as Nairobi as well as in the rural settings.
They have also become critical in the delivery of supplies and parcels for both homes and businesses.
In 2016, about 146,000 motorcycles worth Sh8.2 billion were imported, down from 182,000 motorcycles worth Sh10.7 billion brought in a year earlier.
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