Sky Motors Limited opened an office in Manibe ward, Ayivu Division in Arua city early last month, after allegedly getting clearance from the division authorities to offer motorcycle and tricycle loan services. Stephen Droma , one of the affected boda boda riders says that he paid 1.36 million shillings for two motorcycles and the company promised to deliver them during the launch, which never happened.
More than 100 people mainly Boda Boda cyclists in West Nile sub
region are in shock after failing to get motorcycles for which they made hefty deposits and the officials of Sky Motors
Limited, the company they paid, have vanished and switched off their phones.
Sky Motors Limited opened an office in Manibe ward, Ayivu
Division in Arua city early last month, after allegedly getting clearance from
the division authorities to offer motorcycle and tricycle loan services.
According to the company guidelines, each interested rider
was expected to make an initial deposit of between 680,000 and
4,000,000 Shillings out of the required 6.8 million Shillings to access a motorcycle and 10 million Shilling for the tricycle. Potential
clients were then expected to make either a weekly or monthly payment for a
motorcycle or tricycle while those who can afford can also pay cash.
The company had promised to deliver motorcycles and
tricycles for the applicants on Sunday afternoon during a "mega
launch". However, on Saturday, some of
the affected clients who had come to clear their outstanding initial deposits ahead
of the launch were shocked when they arrived at the company’s office and found
no officials in office.
After waiting in vain for the officials to arrive, the
affected clients rushed to the nearby Manibe Police station in shock to report
the matter but were later referred to Arua central police station.
Stephen Droma , one of the affected boda boda riders says
that he paid shillings 1.36 million for two motorcycles and the company
promised to deliver his motorcycles during the launch which never materialized.
Meanwhile, Flavia Adiru, a single mother from Katrini sub
county in Terego district who lost shillings 2 million wants the city
authorities to intervene noting that many of the affected clients borrowed
money from SACCOs to secure the motorcycles.
Elmahad Salim, the chairperson of Arua city Boda Boda
Association, told URN that he has received a list of at least 80 of his members
who made partial payments to Sky Motors Company Ltd. He however faults Ayivu
division authorities for issuing a trading license to company without due
diligence.
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Alice Akello, the Arua Resident City commissioner says that
the company officials had been moving on different radio
stations in Arua City popularizing their business as genuine. Akello however cautioned the residents to be extra vigilant in dealing with companies whose registration status is not know .
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This is not the first time residents in the sub region have
been conned by fake motorcycle companies who purport to offer motorcycle loan.
In 2019, hundreds of businessmen, teachers, and boda boda cyclists in West Nile
and Acholi sub regions were fleeced by Easy Boda-Boda Company Ltd in yet
another motorcycle loan scam.
