By Paul Karuga Njuguna – (Executive Director, Road Safety Awareness Initiative)
When an ambulance is rushing to save a life, we often think only about the patient inside. Yet behind the wheel sits a driver carrying enormous responsibility, not just for the patient, but for the nurse or medic on board, the patient’s relatives, and every other road user. If that driver is not properly trained, the ambulance itself can become a danger.
The tragic crash at Kimende where everyone in a St. Mary’s ambulance was killed, is a painful reminder. It is not the first such crash, and without action, it will not be the last.
A gap in the law
Today, Kenya has no law under KMPDU requiring ambulance drivers to take specialized emergency vehicle training. Some respected organizations like St John Ambulance, Kenya Red Cross, AA Kenya, and the Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation (EMKF) already train their drivers in advanced skills. Their record is strong, with very few crashes reported. But many county, private, and nonprofit ambulances do not have the same standards. This inconsistency puts lives at risk.
What is EVOC?
In many countries, ambulance drivers must pass an Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) before they are allowed to respond to calls. The course covers:
- Defensive and high-speed driving
- Handling large vehicles in traffic and bad weather
- Safety for patients and medical staff inside the ambulance
- Rural, highway, and city driving scenarios
- Fatigue management and decision-making under stress
Drivers are also tested regularly to keep their skills sharp.
How others do it
- United States: Most states require EVOC, with refresher training every 1–3 years.
- United Kingdom: Ambulance staff take “Blue Light” training to legally drive with sirens and lights.
- Australia & New Zealand: Ambulance driver training is part of national health and vocational systems.
- Canada: Drivers must hold special licences and complete courses tied to provincial rules.
These systems have helped reduce ambulance crashes and improved road safety.
What Kenya should do
Kenya already has the training capacity. AA Kenya, St John Ambulance, Kenya Red Cross Training Institute, and EMKF all run EVOC or similar courses. What is missing is a national law to make this training mandatory for every ambulance driver ,whether public, private, or NGO.
A Kenyan EVOC framework should:
- Require every ambulance driver to pass EVOC before operating.NTSA and KMPDU can work in collaboration to see how this works.
- Include refresher courses every 1–2 years.
- Test drivers in real environments like busy highways, rural roads, at night, and in the rain.
- Demand re-testing after any major crash.
The way forward
The Ministry of Health, NTSA, and county governments should work together to gazette regulations and accredit existing training providers. A phased rollout could start with pilot counties, then expand nationwide. Yes, training will cost money but the cost of doing nothing is far greater: lost lives, grieving families, and shaken trust in our health system.
Ambulance driving is not ordinary driving. It is dangerous, high-pressure work that requires specialized skill. Kenya has the trainers. Kenya has the examples to learn from. What is needed now is political will.
The Kimende tragedy must be the last wake-up call. It is time to make Emergency Vehicle Operator training mandatory for every ambulance driver in Kenya.
The writer is the Executive Director Road Safety Awareness Initiative @RSAIKenya