MOMBASA, Kenya – Forty-three senior leaders from seven African countries have gathered in Mombasa for the 2025 Road Safety Executive Leadership Course (RSELC), a flagship capacity-building program supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS).
The week-long course is being co-hosted by the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit (JH-IIRU) and the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP). It brings together a distinguished group of policymakers and practitioners, including heads of national transport authorities, traffic commissioners, department directors, and a member of parliament.
The training aims to strengthen leadership in road safety planning and implementation across Africa, at a time when the continent continues to record among the highest rates of road traffic injuries globally.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Daniel Manyala, County Executive Committee Member for Transport and Public Works in Mombasa, reaffirmed the county’s commitment to safe mobility.
“Road safety leadership is critical to saving lives. The training will equip all of us to reduce road carnage in real time,” said Manyala.
The course curriculum emphasizes evidence-based interventions, data-driven decision-making, and behavioral change strategies, key components needed to reverse the rising trend of preventable road deaths.
Dr. Abdulgafoor Bachani, Director of JH-IIRU and host of the program, said he was pleased to welcome senior road safety officials to his hometown.
“This course equips professionals with tools to deliver measurable impact on Africa’s roads. We hope this week’s dialogue will foster lasting partnerships and accelerate progress toward safer, more resilient transport systems,” he said.
Through the BIGRS program, Bloomberg Philanthropies continues to support African governments in implementing proven road safety solutions, enhancing crash data systems, strengthening policy reforms, and improving urban mobility safety measures. These efforts align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeting reduced global road traffic fatalities.
Participants have pledged to apply the lessons learned to strengthen road safety leadership at national and county levels, improve multi-sector collaboration, and reinforce interventions during the upcoming festive travel season, when road crashes typically surge.
As the holiday period approaches, authorities expect the training to support enhanced surveillance, enforcement, and public awareness campaigns to ensure safer roads for all.
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