Bolt has partnered with the Kenya Red Cross to train boda boda riders in first aid and emergency response, starting with 75 riders in a programme targeting more than 500 participants within the first year.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The riders completed a four-hour practical session led by the Kenya Red Cross Training Institute (KRCTI), covering basic first aid, emergency response, activating professional help, and road safety.

The 75 riders were certified as Community First Aid Ambassadors and handed first aid kits after completing the training in Nairobi on Wednesday, September 23.

The programme is based on the role boda boda riders play on Kenyan roads, where they can encounter road crashes and other emergencies while transporting passengers or moving through different communities.

📌 What You Need to Know

Arthur Gacharia, Bolt Senior Operations Manager, said the training was intended to give riders practical knowledge on what to do when they encounter an emergency while also helping them understand when professional assistance is required.

“Safety is not only about what happens during a ride; it is also about how we equip the people within our ecosystem to contribute to safer communities,” Gacharia said.

Monica Orero, Director of Training and Capacity Building at the Kenya Red Cross Training Institute, said riders could play an important role in the first moments after an emergency because of their presence on the roads.

“You are our first responders on the scene. Anytime you go to a scene, the first person is a boda boda rider,” Orero said.

The training did not qualify the riders as medical professionals. Instead, they were taught how to assess situations, provide basic assistance within the limits of their training, and activate professional emergency services.

Some of the riders said they had previously avoided accident scenes because they did not know how to help, but said the training had given them more confidence to respond appropriately.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke