Alumni Spotlight: Robert Ouko Oyoo, Kenya

Alumni Spotlight

DRSC helped Robert Ouko Oyoo move from technical specialist to cross-sectoral road safety leader.

Robert Ouko Oyoo is a Senior Engineer at IT Transport, a UK-based sustainable transport consultancy, and a PhD candidate at the University of Nairobi. Since completed the DRSC Annual Course for Low and Middle Income Countries in 2019, he now leads road safety projects across Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, working simultaneously with academia, industry and government to advance the Safe System Approach.

“Since completing the DRSC course, I have grown professionally from a lecturer to a senior engineer responsible for road safety projects as a transportation engineer, road safety auditor, iRAP practitioner and road infrastructure specialist across many developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Robert came to DRSC with a strong technical background, having studied for an MSc in Civil Engineering specialising in transportation. The course broadened his skills in policy and stakeholder engagement, which led to sitting on the Committee on Road Safety Mainstreaming at Workplaces in the Kenyan government and representing Kenya at the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Stockholm.

This month he coordinated the first International Research Conference on Sustainable Transport with the Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology: a three day event that served as a strategic platform for dialogue, learning, and partnership among government institutions, academia, private sector stakeholders, development partners, and civil society. This work ensures cross-sectoral collaboration, working simultaneously with academia and industry to advocate for improving road safety in Kenya.  

Meanwhile, he is continuing to implement the Safe System Approach through conducting road safety audits, iRAP assessments, and delivering training to road safety engineers and stakeholders across the public and private sectors. This includes sharing his DRSC learning, alongside a wealth of experience in engaging stakeholders, advocacy and awareness. He also mentors young engineers, pursuing careers in road safety.  

Robert credits DRSC with diversifying his perspective, connecting him to the international road safety community, and deepening his understanding of the specific challenges facing low- and middle-income countries, insights he now brings to projects across four continents.

iRAP – the International Road Assessment Programme – is a widely used methodology for assessing and improving road infrastructure safety, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the need for cost-effective, evidence-based interventions is greatest. IRAP representatives often feature as guest lecturers within the DRSC curriculum, and Robert is one of a number of DRSC alumni to have gone on to become iRAP accredited. The combination is a natural one: DRSC’s grounding in the Safe System Approach, data-driven decision-making, and road design gives alumni a strong foundation from which iRAP accreditation becomes a practical, field-ready tool.