NTSA announces new PSV training programme in three Kenyan counties
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has announced the rollout of the second cohort of its Public Transport Professionalisation and Capacity Building Programme, with training scheduled to begin on September 28.
The latest phase will run until October 1 and will target public service vehicle (PSV) drivers and operators in Nakuru, Uasin Gishu and Trans-Nzoia counties.
NTSA Director General Nashon Kondiwa confirmed the programme on Friday, September 25, saying the initiative is intended to strengthen professionalism, compliance and safety across Kenya’s public transport sector.
The training follows the completion of the programme’s first cohort, although NTSA has not publicly specified which counties participated in the initial phase.
Why NTSA is training both drivers and operators
According to the authority, improving road safety requires more than focusing on individual drivers.
NTSA says PSV operators and Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) also have an important role in establishing and maintaining safety standards within the sector.
The programme therefore combines driver training with a separate capacity-building stream for operators and SACCO management.
Drivers will undergo training covering professional conduct, defensive driving, hazard perception, vehicle safety inspections, fuel-efficient driving, legal compliance, digital systems and emergency response procedures.
Operators and SACCO managers will receive instruction focused on strategic leadership, governance, fleet management, financial performance and customer service.
As part of the programme, each participating operator will also be expected to prepare a 90-day improvement plan as a capstone assessment.
Kondiwa said the training was intended to strengthen compliance with a range of statutory requirements.
“This will improve compliance with traffic laws, licensing, roadworthiness, insurance, passenger-safety standards and other statutory obligations across the sector,” Kondiwa said.
NTSA outlines wider plans for the PSV sector
NTSA says the programme is not limited to short-term training, with the authority seeking to create safety champions and qualified trainers within transport companies and SACCOs.
The aim is for the knowledge and practices introduced during the programme to continue within individual organisations after the formal training sessions have ended.
The authority also plans to use information gathered during the training to inform a review of the PSV (Operations) Regulations, 2014, as well as the broader licensing framework governing public service vehicles.
The programme forms part of NTSA’s wider agenda for structural changes in Kenya’s public transport industry.
According to the authority, those plans include greater operator consolidation, contract-based service delivery models and integrated fare systems.
The latest training cohort will therefore bring together drivers and the people responsible for managing PSV operations, with NTSA positioning the programme as part of its longer-term effort to improve standards across the sector.
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