Naomi Mwaura, the founder of Flone Initiative, advised President William Ruto's government to implement key considerations in a bid to solve the traffic mess in Nairobi and other counties.
Speaking to Forbes on Wednesday, March 8, Mwaura advocated for the matatu industry to have predictable routes as well as schedules and avail the information publicly for all users to have access.
Through this, the public would be informed of the timelines for matatus and various Saccos to be at designated stops.
Her company, Flone Initiative, aims to create a safe and professional public transport industry in Kenya.
The second issue she pointed out was for all stakeholders to be involved in the decision-making process.
"We are building a movement of inclusive mobility in Kenya where we break down siloes and bring support to the three main stakeholders: practitioners, commuters and government officials. We can’t solve the entire issue alone – we need everyone," she stated.
She referenced how her team worked with Machakos County officials who conducted a safety audit of their county's transport infrastructure and Flone Initiative came up with an architectural design of how the transport system ought to be.
"By building the government’s capacity in this way, we hope we will get to a point where public transport is regulated and run by the government," she noted.
She also advocated for women professionals to be included in the transport sector; highlighting that only seven per cent make up the public transport workforce.
Through a training program in her foundation, Mwaura noted that she is able to train and advance women professionals in the industry.
Mwaura noted that courses in areas such as financial management equipped drivers and conductors with the financial muscles needed to grow their careers in the industry.
In particular, she urged more women to enter into areas such as manufacturing, assembling, design and engineering.
The chief executive also noted that the government should create more inclusivity for all stakeholders in the public sector.
Profile
Growing up in a family that operated a matatu business, Mwaura quickly developed an appreciation of matatu culture and the public transport sector.
She is also a fierce advocate for women's inclusivity and safety in the matatu sector.
Mwaura is a global TED speaker with over ten years of experience running not-for-profit organisations.
Aside from Flone Initiative, she is also a co-founder of Mama Afrika Festival, an organisation that highlights and celebrates women in the arts.
She was named the 2017 British Building Corporation (BBC) 100 Inspirational and Influential Women and featured in Forbes Women and Aljazeera.
She is among the winners of the 2018 Ashoka Challenging Norms, Powering Economies Challenge.
