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.
