By Antynet Ford
In a concerted effort to enhance road safety standards in its operations, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) completed a two-day benchmarking exercise at Bamburi Cement Plc.
The exercise, which included visits to the Bamburi Special Products (BSP) and Nairobi Grinding Plant in the Industrial Area and Athi River respectively, centered on the role of data and technology in Driver, Vehicle, Journey, Load, and Contractor Management – critical pillars used to address road safety and responsible driving behaviors at the listed cement company.
Speaking during the visit, the Head of Kenya Army Corps of Transport’s (KACT) delegation, Col. Boniface Chomba said the exercise was part of insight-building with the private sector to entrench professionalism in KDF’s Motor Transport Units and combat road accidents.
“This private sector benchmarking tour is critical for comprehensive strategy learning at a time when the number of accidents reported countrywide is high and that mitigative measures such as leveraging data and technology can aid in its reduction,” said Col. Chomba.
On any given day, Bamburi Cement manages over 300 trucks transporting cement, concrete, aggregates, and building materials from its sites. In 2023 alone, its fleet’s sub-contracted drivers covered a total distance of over 12 million kilometers across the country.
According to Bamburi Cement Plc CEO Mr. Mohit Kapoor, the company’s investment in emerging technology and data has been influential in managing its dynamic fleet operations, and driver training journey management to minimize fatalities.
“Creating a safe road environment is a top priority for Bamburi Cement since we rely heavily on transport to conduct our business. As a national interest issue, we are open to collaborating with like-minded private and public institutions on road safety management, leveraging our reliable and accurate data to help formulate strategy and inform policy formulation, implementation, and solution,” said Mr. Kapoor.
Through fleet telematics technology, Bamburi Cement transporters undergo an In-Vehicle Monitoring System (IVMS) which monitors driver behavior such as harsh braking, harsh acceleration, freewheeling (driving on neutral gear), speeding, driving hours, and fuel consumption.
This helps develop the driver’s scorecard which leads to rewarding or sanctioning of the drivers therefore correcting driving behavior as well as positive reinforcement for the safe drivers.
The National Transport and Safety Authority reported that at least 22,885 people were involved in traffic accidents last year. There were 4,324 deaths, 10,769 serious injuries, and 7,792 minor injuries. In the report, the government highlighted 13 top causes of accidents in Kenya.
According to the WHO, Kenya is ranked 15th worldwide in terms of the number of fatalities per 100,000 vehicles on the road. Over three thousand road-related fatalities occur per annum. Most of these people are vulnerable road users – pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists.
