The Isuzu East Africa Driver Academy in partnership with Bamburi Cement’s Women on Wheels Program has held its fourth graduation. The Academy, launched in 2021, targets Isuzu East Africa’s customers to train on logistical and defensive driving skills, traffic rules and act compliance.
Since its inception, the Academy has produced 205 trained drivers. The training has also helped to reduce collisions on roads at a time when a significant number of people are injured in accidents involving vehicles.
Data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has shown that at least 22,885 people were involved in road accidents in 2023. This is a 5.2% increase or 1,127 compared to 2022, where 21,758 people were involved in road crashes.
The Academy has over time ensured that Isuzu customers acquire the right vehicles to meet their transportation needs and trained drivers.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Isuzu EA’s Managing Director Rita Kavashe stated, “As a trusted logistics partner, Isuzu is committed to excellence, and safety is our topmost priority in helping our customers grow their businesses sustainably. The Isuzu Drivers Academy goes the extra mile to ensure that our customers not only get the right vehicles for transportation needs but also qualified and trained drivers.”
Bamburi Cement Sustainability and Geocycle Director Jane Wangari noted that the collaboration with Isuzu is instrumental in helping the cement company realize a gender balance amongst its drivers.
“We target to add at least 50 women to our transport value chain each year, to offset the 95% of male drivers in 500-600 third-party truck drivers transporting our products or raw materials daily. Our data shows that women trained from this program, on average, are safer on the roads, use less fuel, and reduce truck maintenance costs,” said Wangari.