The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) in conjunction with The Rhino Ark Trust has trained a group of motorcycle (boda boda) riders from Nyandarua County on road safety and environmental conservation.
The riders were also trained on the need to observe the laid-down road safety regulations in an effort to reduce the rising cases of accidents, especially those involving them.
According to NTSA and the Rhino Ark Trust officials, the riders will be made champions of environmental conservation and road safety in their localities.
Speaking during the training session held at the Aberdare National Park’s Shamata Gate, the Director for Road Safety-NTSA Andrew Kiplagat said the country was experiencing a big challenge with road safety, noting that so far, at least 870 people have died this year in accidents alone and out of this, about 40 per cent were boda boda riders.
The officer in charge of the KWS Mountain Conservation Area, Ms. Lucy Muita, said boda boda riders could be recruited in illegal trade, including transportation of bushmeat and illegal logging and such cases could be avoided by engaging them positively.
Her sentiments were echoed by Christian Lambrechts, the Executive Director of Rhino Ark and The United Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, who observed that the training sessions have not only equipped the beneficiaries with essential road safety knowledge but also instilled a strong sense of responsibility towards conservation.
They noted that the boda boda riders were transforming their community, championing conservation and road safety, and through training by NTSA and Rhino Ark Trust, they have become vital agents of change, hence reducing their environmental impact, ensuring safer roads, and protecting the Aberdare ecosystem.
By Kimani Tirus
