Makueni trains boda boda riders, CHPs and local administrators to tame road carnage
Catherine Maliti, a community health promoter, during the interview. She is part of a team of volunteers enlisted by St. John’s Ambulance and Makueni County government in a programme to curb road accident deaths along the section of the Mombasa-Nairobi highway that passes through the county.
What you need to know:
- According to the National Transport Safety Authority, the 482-kilometre Mombasa-Nairobi highway accounts for roughly 40 per cent of the 3,000 annual road accident deaths in the country.
When Catherine Maliti received a call from a traffic police officer informing her that her husband had been involved in a road accident near Salama Township along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway, she panicked. The officer told her to rush; her husband was in a bad state.
Catherine’s immediate, quick-thinking actions were all that mattered.
A trauma clinic set up by St. John’s Ambulance at Emali, Makueni County to curb road accident deaths along the section of the Mombasa-Nairobi highway which passes through the county.
She found him, hugged him, wrapped him in a warm leso, and rushed him to hospital. Two years later, the community health promoter looks back with pride.
“After a week in the hospital, my husband was back on his feet. His condition would have worsened if I had delayed after that call,” Catherine told Healthy Nation in Ngokomi Village.
The mother of five is now set to play a bigger role in curbing fatalities on the busy highway after being enlisted in a first-aid programme designed to assist road accident victims.
The emergency response programme, rolled out by St. John's Ambulance and the Makueni County government, aims to reduce road crash deaths by improving rescue coordination and access to healthcare.
“This project stems from one fundamental principle: that no Kenyan should perish on our roads due to delayed medical assistance. Timely transportation of casualties significantly influences their survival outcomes,” said Alex Muturi, a senior St. John’s Ambulance official.
Daniel Mwololo, a boda boda rider in Sultan Hamud, Makueni County. He is part of a team of volunteers enlisted by St. John’s Ambulance and Makueni County government in a programme to curb road accident deaths along the section of the Mombasa-Nairobi highway which passes through the county.
As part of the initiative, St. John Ambulance has set up an operational trauma facility at Emali township and provided a standby ambulance to respond to road accidents. The facility serves as the first port of call before patients are dispatched to other hospitals, depending on their condition.
At the heart of the intervention is a dedicated team of community health promoters, boda boda operators, and local administrators.
“We have trained 50 community health promoters, boda boda operators, and administrators in first aid to respond to road accidents along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway. This number is set to increase. Ultimately, every citizen should
contribute to preserving life,” said Makueni Health Chief Officer Harvey Mbithi during the programme's launch.
Daniel Mwololo, the chairman of a boda boda association in Sultan Hamud, is among those trained. He has called on the government to invest in firefighting capacity to stem road accident fatalities.
Catch fire
“Vehicles often catch fire when they collide. Too often, we can only watch helplessly as the fire consumes both the vehicles and their occupants,” he said.
Makueni Health Executive Joyce Mutua said the enhanced emergency response programme is part of a broader plan by
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior’s administration to significantly reduce road crash deaths on the highway, which is plagued by carnage.
According to the National Transport Safety Authority, the 482-kilometre Mombasa-Nairobi highway accounts for roughly 40 per cent of the 3,000 annual road accident deaths in the country.
“Makueni is traversed by more than 170 kilometres of this highway, which is prone to accidents. In recent years, these accidents have overwhelmed the trauma centre at Makindu Sub-county Hospital,” Ms Mutua said.
Special Programmes Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku and Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse pledged the national government's commitment to strengthening emergency response on the major highway at the launch ceremony.
“No Kenyan should lose their life because help came too late. President William Ruto has concurred with local leaders on the need for a trauma and emergency hospital at Emali township to enhance response to road accidents.
The facility will also serve Kajiado and Makueni counties. The Sh350 million required will be set aside during the supplementary budget in December,” Mr Ruku said.
Mr Mutuse lauded the intervention by St. John’s Ambulance as a ray of hope in a region long afflicted by road carnage.
