Bolt has partnered with the Kenya Red Cross to train boda boda riders in first aid, emergency response, and road safety, with plans to equip more than 500 riders across Kenya in the first year of the program.
The initiative kicked off with a pilot cohort of 75 Bolt riders who completed practical training at the Kenya Red Cross Training Institute (KRCTI).
The riders have been certified as Community First Aid Ambassadors and awarded certificates and branded badges in recognition of their role in promoting safer roads and communities.
Bolt and Red Cross Training of Riders
The four-hour training program focused on basic first aid techniques, emergency response, activating emergency services, and enhancing road safety awareness.
According to Bolt, the program is designed to empower riders with practical life-saving knowledge while ensuring they understand the limits of their training and the importance of seeking professional medical assistance when necessary.
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Arthur Gacharia, Bolt’s Senior Operations Manager, said the initiative extends the company’s commitment to safety beyond the ride-hailing experience.
“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,” he said.
Gacharia said the company plans to scale up the program significantly after the pilot phase, aiming the train more than 500 riders in the first year.
He added that the newly trained ambassadors will be better prepared to offer appropriate assistance, support passengers and members of the public, and know when to contact professional responders.
Growing Concern Over Road Accidents
The program comes amid continued concerns over road safety involving motorcycle riders in Kenya.
Speaking during the certification event, Monica Orero, Director of Training and Capacity Building at the Kenya Red Cross Training Institute, highlighted the importance of strengthening emergency preparedness among road users.
She revealed that the country recorded 1,273 fatalities, 2,768 serious injuries, and 720 minor injuries in 2025.
According to Orero, equipping riders with first aid and emergency response skills can reduce fatalities and injuries while supporting broader healthcare and safety goals.
“At the Red Cross, our role is to support national and county governments in responding to disasters and emergencies, and initiatives like this are exactly how we advance that mission,” she said.
The partnership, she added, demonstrates how the private sector and humanitarian organizations can collaborate to improve public safety outcomes.
Orero said Red Cross had been working with transport companies to reduce deaths and severe injuries resulting from road accidents.
“Together with the transport companies we have been running an initiative to support reduction of severity of injury or death when accidents happen. So, when we start with Bolt we thought training the boda boda riders is the first solution that we can be able to support the reduction of accidents within the country because once they have knowledge, they’re the first responders who arrive at the scene whenever there’s an accident,” said Orero.
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Expansion of Program Across the Country
Among those who completed the training was rider Patrick Sakwa, who described the program as beneficial and empowering.
Sakwa said the sessions improved participants’ understanding of emergency response, including how to act safely at accident scenes, what support they can provide within their level, and when to seek help.
He also called on government agencies, through the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), to make first aid training a regular requirement for road users.
“To the government institutions like NTSA, I would wish to suggest that this course should be among the courses that all the riders, all the drivers who are on public roads, should be undergoing often, so that we may reduce road injuries, and during the accident, we may be in first situation to respond to such schemes. So, I would urge NTSA, Red Cross and Bolt Partners and other stakeholders to partner for such events,” said Sakwa.
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