The Kenya Roads Board (KRB) is training bodaboda operators in Kajiado County in a bid to reduce accidents, improve road safety and influence behaviour change on road usage.
By Johesephat Mukabi.
Kenya roads board is undertaking training of boda boda operators across the country. On Tuesday the training took place at KCB grounds in Kajiado county.
A number of boda boda where trained on how to ride ,how to conduct a first aid once an accident has occurred, how to prevent HIV when handling a victim among others.
Speaking at the event Kenya roads board director general Rashid Mohammed in his remarks said that part of boards broader corporate social responsibility involved road safety programs that help boda boda riders in reducing carnage in the country.
”I am glad to state that tremendous progress in road network improvement has been made and significant impact felt by the mwananchi on the ground”.
“The board is hoping to leverage partnerships to broaden the reach and effectiveness of our road safety awareness and campaigns, taking active steps to improve our engagement with industry stakeholders and improve road safety’.
“Our support to the boda boda industry to improve road safety generally is aligned to the Nations broader development agenda namely, The Third Medium Term Plan of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the BIG FOUR AGENDA. KRB will continue to focus on promoting road safety initiatives and conducting road safety audits.” Said Mohamed.
Boda boda riders who got the opportunity to be trained expressed their joy saying that the training will help them.
Statistics from The National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) reports that 588 boda boda riders died in road accidents between January and June 20th 2021. NTSA reports that the deaths rose by 160 compared to the 428 deaths reported in the same period last year.
”At KRB, part of our broader CSR activities involves road safety programmes that seek to reduced road safety crashes as envisaged by the UN Decade of Safety. Our programme for boda boda riders is aimed at ensuring our young women and men in the sector are licensed and well kitted with road safety gear in a bid to reducing road carnage in the country”.
For this reason, the Kenya Roads Board (KRB) is training boda boda operators in Kajiado County in a bid to reduce accidents, improve road safety and influence behaviour change on-road usage.
KRB has undertaken training of boda boda operators in 13 counties in its effort to bolster road safety awareness and education nationwide.
”Today’s training is one of many road safety initiatives that we have conducted in Kisumu, Kisii, Migori, Kilifi, Busia, Nyeri, Malindi, Machakos, Nakuru, Narok, Nyamira, Kakamega and Elgeyo, Marakwet counties”.
At least 300 boda boda operators benefited from the training that took place in Kajiado Central at the KCB grounds.
During the training, the bodaboda operators were equipped with skills such as safe riding, first aid and adherence to traffic rules and highway codes. Additionally, the riders were taken through HIV counselling and testing. KRB issue reflector jackets and helmets to all riders after the training.