TRANSCRIPTION OF ELDORET ROAD SAFETY TRAINING BROADCASTED ON K24 TV.
REPORTER(Studio): Let’s move to Eldoret where Tim Simwa is standing by flanked by Bodaa operators and this is a meeting to raise awareness amongst the operators which is the biggest employment among young people in the country on road safety to lessen the number of accidents and causality on our roads. Tim good morning and over to you, what is the main message
REPORTER 2: A well good morning to you Ayub perhaps to begin with nothing explains our reason to being here this morning than what our camera person Duncan Wanga can give you at the moment, we have one of the people who are here this morning. He is a Bodaa operator is name is Wanjala. He has told me was involved in an accident and that is why Global Civic Sharing are also here to try and make sure that they have some sought of engagement between them and boda boda operators so that issues of safety can be captured. Like you said this is one industry that has emerged to be one of the biggest employers of youths in the country in every other town Eldoret is not an exception you will find so many Bodaa operators and either in one way or the other this also raises the questions of their safety. We have had cases in which the government has also released statistics of people who have been getting involved in accidents and that will also inform the reason why Global Civic Sharing are here just to partner with some of the officials to make sure that this men and women can get education on their safety and their operation when they are on the road. So Ayub allow me to speak to one of the facilitators and he can tell us why they decided to take this initiative of having such a training and maybe tell us the target they want to achieve at the end of the program.
ELPHAS KIRWA(GCS Kenya PC): I’m Elphas Kirwa. The name of our organization is Global Civic Sharing and we have a project by the name Bodaa Salama. We saw it wise to have a project with the Bodaa people so as to help them know the way of how to stay on the road and how to behave on the road. The main reason why we started this program is due to the number of accidents that have occurred in Uasin Gishu County and Kenya as a whole with major contributors being the Bodaa operators. We train them on road safety, we care about their needs and therefore we give them safety gears which they use in their day to day activities.
REPORTER2: Mr. Kirwa how have they received this training program
ELPHAS KIRWA: When we began this project most of them had not understood what this project entailed. But as we continued they came to realize that it is a project that will help them a lot and most of them are happy.
REPORTER 2: Thank you so much. Ayub, allow me to talk to Bodaa Association of Kenya official who is here and works with Global Civic Sharing. Kindly tell us the importance of having such trainings as a rider.
MUCHIRI: Thank you so much. I’m Joshua King’ori Muchiri. I’m MTRH Bodaa group chairperson and also a member of Bodaa Association of Kenya. GCS has done great things to us as riders of this place. The first thing they have done is that they have brought us together. They have taught us how to do savings and plan for the future. This is one of the things that we have learnt as Bodaa riders. That we can stay together and plan our lives because Bodaa operators are people who have their own money. And so without proper training on savings one is likely to misuse money. Secondly they have brought experts to teach us on road safety and rules of the road. We have been given education and safety gears which will help us adhere to road rules and be safe.
REPORTER 2: Thank you so much. Mr. Ayub. Allow us listen from one lady so as to observe gender balance. So tell us how this trainings have helped you?
NAOMI: I’m Naomi Chepkemboi. Global Civic Sharing have really helped me a lot. They found me on the road and talked to me about their program. I joined driving school and acquired a license through Global Civic Sharing program. They have also taught us about Gender sensitivity and Human rights and for today we are undergoing road safety. I’m very happy for what has been done to me.
REPORTER: My last question to you is that most people claim that Bodaa operators do not observe road rules. From your point of few, is it true?
MATHEW: I’m Mathew Ndombi the chairman of this group. It is true that most riders do not observe road rules because they see to it that this is an industry they can join without training and still get good money. We want to thank GCS for giving us training and creating awareness on things to do with rules of the road. They have also tauught us how to be independent and also how to be self-employed.
REPORTER 2: Ayub you have heard it from the facilitators from GCS and Bodaa operators who are the beneficiaries of this training. This kind of training is very important and statistics do not lie many accidents are as a result of motorbike Mayhem on the road. At some point we have seen the county coming out very vehemently to try to make sure that they can input some sort of order within the sector and hopefully this kind of training will also make sure that kind of training may take their knowledge on road safety to another level but above all they have at least admitted that they have a responsibility to play their part and make sure that they take their clients safely and also trying to make sure that even when they ride on the road, they are also trying to make sure that other road users remain safe. And hopefully, we can also, maybe going forward we will see this translating by the number of road accidents as a result of motorbikes going down. Back to you Ayub.
REPORTER 1: Thank you Tim from county number 27 in Uasin Gishu on stakeholder Cooperation to lessen the number of accidents among Bodaa Operators in the county.