Context

• SAHI Nairobi

  Nairobi is the second city to host SAHI and the first with Transaid as its host. SAHI Nairobi will draw upon the work that Transaid has been implementing since 2021, with the FIA Foundation’s support, to enhance helmet safety in Kenya.

  The summit will bring together government representatives and leading experts from a range of unique geographies and development contexts to examine current motorcycle helmet safety practices and explore ways to increase the use of safe, quality helmets, building on the progress made in both Kigali and at the 4th Global Ministerial Meeting on Road Safety.

  SAHI Nairobi will welcome delegates from nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with Benin, Cameroon, Ghana and Senegal adding their voices to this pan-African call to action.

• Motorcycle Safety in Kenya

  The rapid growth of the motorcycle taxi industry continues throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa with a growing proportion of road traffic deaths and injuries being linked to motorcycle use. The use of commercial motorcycles, known in Kenya as boda bodas, continues to rise in popularity transporting passengers and goods in both rural and urban areas.

  In Kenya, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) reported an increase of almost half a million registered boda bodas between 2021 and 2024, with approximately 2.4 million currently operating nationwide. Despite robust legislation which links to a national helmet standard, challenges persist in enforcement.

  A recent study conducted by Kenya’s National Helmet Wearing Coalition showed that despite head injuries being a leading cause of death and serious injury amongst motorcycle crash victims, helmet use in greater Nairobi remains low, with the use of certified helmets assumed to be even lower.

  Observational studies revealed that 63% of riders wear helmets, and only 15% of pillion passengers. This same report identified the lack of data collection, weak enforcement of the current helmet standard and limited helmet testing capacity as key constraints to improving motorcycle safety in Kenya.

  Countries participating at SAHI Kigali identified common challenges such as limited access to reliable data, insufficient engagement with the private sector, and the financial barriers associated with adopting internationally recognised helmet standards. With a strong emphasis on regional collaboration, both returning and new participating countries will be supported in developing or advancing their country action plans.

  SAHI Nairobi will allow time for participants to reflect on some of the progress made in recent months. In 2024, Rwanda successfully adopted a global helmet standard and established Africa’s first helmet testing laboratory. The summit will highlight and celebrate Kenya’s distinctive approaches and attitudes toward motorcycle safety.

  With many of SAHI’s participants having attended the 4th Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, held in February 2025, this provides the Initiative with a renewed global mandate and a heightened sense of urgency to advance the motorcycle safety agenda across the continent.

  The Marrakech Declaration made several important commitments to improve motorcycle safety, including a coordinated push to enhance and integrate motorcycle helmet standards into national transport policies.

• A Call to Action

  The inaugural SAHI summit in Kigali brought together representatives from government and civil society providing an opportunity to share examples of good practice and to learn from one another. Informed by a series of panel discussions featuring technical experts with contextual knowledge, each country delegation developed a strategic action plan outlining priorities and next steps.

  Building on this foundation, SAHI Nairobi will expand the Initiative’s membership to include four additional countries from West Africa. These countries are similarly experiencing a rise in motorcycle use and growing political support for their use for commercial purposes, including taxis and courier services.

  The forthcoming summit will draw on the insights and strategies developed in Kigali, which identified common challenges such as limited access to reliable data, insufficient engagement with the private sector, and the financial barriers associated with adopting internationally recognised helmet standards. With a strong emphasis on regional collaboration, both returning and new participating countries will be supported in developing or advancing their country action plans.

  SAHI Nairobi will also allow time for participants to reflect on some of the progress made in recent months. In 2024, Rwanda successfully adopted a global helmet standard and established Africa’s first helmet testing laboratory. The summit will also highlight and celebrate Kenya’s distinctive approaches and attitudes toward motorcycle safety.

  With many of SAHI’s members having attended the 4th Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, held in February 2025, this provides the Initiative with a renewed global mandate and a heightened sense of urgency to advance the motorcycle safety agenda across the continent. The Marrakech Declaration, published after the event, made several important commitments to improve motorcycle safety, including a coordinated push to enhance and integrate motorcycle helmet standards into national transport policies.

• Kenya National Helmet Wearing Coalition

  With support from the FIA Foundation, Transaid has been working with key stakeholders to improve motorcycle safety in Kenya since 2021. This project focuses on establishing a multisectoral National Helmet Wearing Coalition, which promotes a collaborative approach to addressing the increasing number of motorcycle related deaths in the country.

  Motorcycle related deaths account for a staggering 35% of total road deaths in Kenya in a context where helmet wearing is low, despite the fact that head injuries are the most common injuries sustained by hospitalized motorcycle crash victims, weak enforcement of the helmet standard being a key factor influencing this.

  Since 2021, Transaid has supported a number of Coalition members to implement small scalable and impactful projects which address issues such as helmet affordability, enforcement capacity and safety awareness amongst motorcycle users. In addition, in March 2024 a Coalition-led research project investigated the health costs of motorcycle crashes specific to Kenya which advocated for increased investment in enforcement on the part of the Kenyan government.

  In addition, the Coalition is supporting the government to achieve its target of establishing a helmet testing lab in Kenya which is a target in the National Road Safety Action Plan. Improved testing, combined with support to local helmet manufacturers to produce certified helmets, will lead to a decrease the number of counterfeit, poor quality helmets, which in turn will lead to a reduction in the avoidable loss of life on Kenya’s roads.

• Participating Organisations

  AA Ethiopia
  AA Kenya PLC
  AA Nigeria
  AA Rwanda
  AA Uganda
  Africa Transport Policy Program
  Africa Union Commission
  BBC Africa
  BH-Media Ltd
  BM Ltd
  Britam Insurance
  Diamond Defensive Driving Academy Ltd
  Equitable Development or Safe and Inclusive Environments in Mobility (EDISE Mobility)
  FIA Foundation
  Galeatus LLC, Italy
  Ghana Standards Authority
  Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety
  Global Health Advocacy Incubator
  Global Road Safety Partnership
  Healthy People Rwanda
  Kenya Bureau of Standards
  Kenya Police
  Kenya Traffic Police
  KRO Boda Boda SACCO
  Land Transport Regulatory Authority of Tanzania
  Laser International, Senegal
  Little Food Delivery, Kenya
  Ministry of Infrastructure and Land and Air Transport, Sengal
  Ministry of Infrastructure, Rwanda
  Ministry of Works and Transport, Uganda
  Motorcycle Assemblers Association of Kenya (MAAK)/Car and General, Kenya
  MultiMedia University, Kenya
  National Road Safety Authority, Ghana
  National Road Safety Centre (CNSR), Benin
  National Standard Agency (ANOR) / Securoute Africa, Cameroon
  National Transport and Safety Authority, Kenya
  Road Safety and Institutional Support, Ethiopia
  Road Safety Insurance Fund Service, Ethiopia
  Rwanda Standards Board
  Safe Way Right Way Uganda
  Spiro
  Tanzania Traffic Police
  Tanzanian Bureau of Standards
  The Nation, Kenya
  Transaid
  Uber, Kenya
  Uganda National Bureau of Standards
  UN-HABITAT, Kenya
  WATU Credit, Kenya
  WHO Africa
  YOURS

• SAHI Nairobi Agenda

  Please click here to view a PDF of the SAHI Nairobi Agenda in English.