Yamaha Kenya, Kenya Police Service partner to enhance road safety
By Beth Nyaga
Motorcycle manufacturer and distributor Yamaha Kenya has partnered with the Kenya Police Service to enhance road safety on Kenyan roads during this festive season.
Yamaha Kenya which is a division of Toyota Kenya, today handed over 15 motorcycles procured by the Kenya police service, having already trained 20 police officers who will act as trainers of trainers within the Kenya Police service.
According to Toyota Kenya Managing Director Sachio Yotsukura, Toyota Kenya is committed to not only help teach automotive skills, but also offer a platform for skills transfer.
‘The 20 officers who are trainers of trainer received specialized training to enable them pass on the knowledge to other police officers and riders who they will train. In this regard the training offered by the Yamaha Riding Academy is not just beneficial to the officers but is also a form of capacity building for the Kenya Police Service,’ Sachio said.
Yamaha Kenya says it intends to roll out the specialized training to boda boda operators in partnership with the Kenya Police Service and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
According to statistics released by NSTA boda boda operators account for 90% of the 800,000 all registered motorcycles in the country while 70% of boda boda operators are untrained and rely on peer to peer training.
Yamaha Kenya General Manager Augustine Juma says that Yamaha is carrying out the training in recognition of the fact that while the responsibility of manufacturers to ensure that the motorcycles they produce are equipped with the latest safety features and adhere to international standards, they cannot ignore the most crucial factor of all which is the human element.
‘Yamaha through the Yamaha Riding Academy will extend its training and capacity building to boda boda operators across the country starting with Nakuru, Nairobi and Kisumu. Through this exercise we at Yamaha Kenya hope to help increase the number of certified trainers across the country and ensure that all riding schools have the capacity to train Boda Boda operators and enhance the safe use of motorcycles across the board.’ Juma said.
The 15 high speed motorcycles have been customized for the police and come fitted with enforcement features including sirens and in built communication systems.
