Covid-19 Pandemic and Its Influence on Social Health Risk Behaviour Change Among Motorcycle Riders in the Transport Industry in Kimili Subcounty, Bungoma County, Kenya

Abstract

Most urban centres and cities globally are vulnerable to the fast spread of Covid-19 due to their high population and many interactive activities including movement of people. The transport industry has been targeted in many parts of the world in the effort to curb the spread of pandemic as it is believed to be the main conduit of the spread of the pandemic. However, the lockdown of major cities all over the world has led to the development of under ways to facilitate illegal movement of people in and out of the lockdown epicentre cities. In Kenya for instance Nairobi and Mombasa which are believed to be the main epicentres of the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic were put under lockdown by the government of Kenya for three months. Consequently, the government through the ministry of health banned motorists especially public transport vehicles from entering and leaving the epicentre cities. During the lockdown motorcycle became the major mode of public transport illegally sneaking people in and out of these cities thus endangering lives of many Kenyans as they aided in the spread of the pandemic. The lifting of the lockdown of Mombasa and Nairobi has seen tremendous rise in infections and even deaths doubling the previous statistics. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate Covid-19 pandemic and its influence on the social risk behaviour change among motorcycle riders in the transport industry in Kimilili Sub county Bungoma County Kenya. The study population were all the motorcycle riders within Kimilili town. The sample size comprised of 60 motor bike riders selected through simple random sampling from 12 motorcycle stage points in Kimilili town. The study adopted quantitative research design where descriptive survey was employed. Simple structured questionnaire was developed and administered to the respondents. Data was collected and analyzed through descriptive statistics and presented in tables of frequencies and percentages. The results revealed that motorbike riders had failed to comply with the ministry of health guidelines in the transport industry to help fight the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. The extent to which the respondents complied with the government regulations was generally low. Therefore, the noncompliance behaviour of bike motorists to the government directives was a serious social health risk behaviour that the ministry of health should address to minimise the spread of Covid-19 through motorbike transport system in Kenya.