Transaid, in partnership with the FIA Foundation, hosted the second Safe African Helmets Initiative (SAHI) Summit in Nairobi this week (7-9 July 2025), bringing together industry experts and representatives from government and civil society to discuss life-saving projects to improve motorcycle helmet safety.
Kenya is currently home to an estimated 2.4 million motorcycle taxis, known as boda bodas, a rise of nearly 500,000 since 2021. A study by Kenya’s National Helmet Wearing Coalition found that only 63 per cent of riders and 15 per cent of pillion passengers wear helmets, despite research showing that a helmet can reduce the risk of death by 42 per cent and the risk of head injury by 69 per cent in the event of a crash.
SAHI aims to address motorcycle safety in sub-Saharan Africa through a platform for sharing experiences, discussing challenges, and building consensus on the urgent need to combat the rise in deaths and serious injuries related to motorcycle crashes.
The three-day event addressed key challenges and opportunities to improving helmet safety, with representation from African nations. Split into country cohorts, participants received tailored support from representatives of Transaid, the FIA Foundation, the Global Road Safety Partnership, the Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP), and other industry leaders to develop and refine strategic action plans to deliver long-term, life-saving impact.
Jason Finch, Programmes Support Manager for Transaid, says: “Encouraged by the success of last year’s inaugural summit, we felt confident expanding the second SAHI to include even more countries. Hosting it in Nairobi gave us the opportunity to highlight Kenya’s unique context and celebrate the local experts, practitioners and riders leading the charge for safer helmets.
“The inclusion of four new countries from West Africa brought valuable new perspectives and reinforced the urgency of action and the importance of regional coordination. The more voices at the table, the stronger the collective effort – this is truly a pan-African initiative. The country action plans developed by each delegation hold real potential to save lives.”
FIA Foundation Programmes Director Aggie Kransnolucka says: “Motorcycle numbers across Africa are rising rapidly and with them, deaths and serious injuries. A quality helmet, properly worn, is the most significant measure to protect motorcyclists. This Summit has provided a critical opportunity to convene countries, recognise progress, and collaborate on the solutions to save lives.”
This year’s event built on the progress made in 2024, as well as the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety which took place in February this year. Delegates from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda returned for a second year, while Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, and Senegal joined for the first time in Nairobi. The summit created a platform to share and reflect on experiences, identify common challenges and exchange effective solutions.
Transaid launched the National Helmet Wearing Coalition in Kenya in 2021, with the initial phases of its work focused on improving enforcement and raising awareness amongst riders. With support from the FIA Foundation, the Coalition released A Fare Price, a report detailing the health and economic costs of motorcycle taxi crashes. Phase three of the project began last year, working towards introducing a helmet testing laboratory and building on the advocacy and enforcement campaigns – previously identified as key barriers to improving safety across the country.
For more information and to find out how you can support the organisation visit www.transaid.org.
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Note to Editor:
About Transaid
Transaid transforms lives through safe, available, and sustainable transport. Founded by Save the Children, The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), and its Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, the international development organisation works with communities, partners, and governments to solve transport challenges throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
Transaid works in two core areas, road safety and access to health, to solve two of the biggest transport challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. Transaid’s road safety work focuses on influencing safe driver behaviour with long term programmes in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, responding to local needs for improved training for drivers and riders of trucks, buses, motorcycles and forklift trucks. On the access to health side, Transaid is working with local partners and communities to strengthen access to health services, primarily in rural areas. They are also working to strengthen health supply chains in collaboration with local partners and governments.
Transaid enjoys strong backing from the transport and logistics industry and the active involvement of its patron, HRH The Princess Royal.
For further press information:
Maddy Matheson at Transaid: +44 (0)20 7387 8136 / maddy@transaid.org
Natalie Ganshert or James Keeler at Garnett Keeler PR: +44 (0)20 8647 4467, or by email to natalie.ganshert@garnettkeeler.com / james.keeler@garnettkeeler.com
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