By Editor
Every journey has a beginning. For Kenya’s motorists, that beginning dates back more than a century, to a time when cars were rarer than elephants and the word “highway” did not exist.
The Automobile Association of Kenya (AA Kenya), now known for roadside rescue, driver training, and road safety advocacy, started as a small motoring club with a big dream: to open Kenya to mobility.
The Birth of a Motoring Nation
In 1919, a group of motoring enthusiasts founded the Automobile Association of Kenya, a visionary idea in a country with only a handful of vehicles. Kenya had no roads, no fuel stations, and few drivers, but these pioneers believed mobility would change everything.
Just four years later, in 1923, AA Kenya imported the country’s first car, the Riley 12/50 Touring Sedan. More than a vehicle, it was a milestone. The Riley was used to test routes, survey the land, and map Kenya’s earliest motoring paths.
Then came a legendary journey that would cement AA Kenya’s place in history. In 1926, Galton Fenzi and Captain Gethin set out to drive from Nairobi to Mombasa without roads, maps, or fuel stations.
Fifteen days, 56 punctures, and one historic finish later, their Riley finally rolled into Mombasa. They had done more than reach the coast. They had opened Kenya to the automobile age.
“That drive was more than an adventure. It was the birth of Kenya’s transport network,” says AA Kenya historian Michael Murigi.
The Galton-Fenzi Memorial Stone on Nairobi’s Kenyatta Avenue still commemorates that feat. It is a tribute to the courage and ingenuity that would define AA Kenya for generations.
From Drums to Depots
In the 1930s, motorists refueled from oil drums stored in backyards, a system as unsafe as it was unreliable. AA Kenya organized the country’s first fuel depots, transforming refueling from risky improvisation into a professional network. This laid the foundation for Kenya’s modern petrol stations and changed the way people travelled in the country.
The Safari Rally and Autonews
By the 1950s, Kenya’s roads and its motoring culture were expanding. AA Kenya played a pivotal role in shaping two institutions that would inspire national pride.
In 1953, it founded the East African Coronation Safari, later known as the Safari Rally, an endurance race across East Africa’s wildest terrain. The rally quickly gained global fame. When Joginder Singh, known as The Flying Sikh, won in 1965, he became a symbol of Kenyan grit and determination.
That same year, AA Kenya launched Autonews, the country’s first motoring magazine. Covering maintenance, safety, and innovation, it empowered drivers to understand both their vehicles and themselves.
“Autonews did not just talk about cars. It built confidence,” recalls veteran journalist Gavin Bennett, who wrote the long-running column Driving in Kenya.
Driving Education for a New Nation
In 1962, AA Kenya opened Kenya’s first professional driving school, setting the standard for structured, safe, and certified driver training. From teenagers in Nairobi to PSV operators in Eldoret, millions have since passed through its classrooms, learning not just to drive but to drive responsibly.
Setting the Standard
Over the decades, AA Kenya expanded its influence. Roadside assistance, vehicle inspection, fleet management, and import advisory services all became part of its mission to make motoring safer and easier. From rescuing stranded families to certifying vehicles for import, AA Kenya became a trusted partner for drivers at every stage of their journey.
Safety, Advocacy, and the Next Generation
Today, AA Kenya continues to lead in road safety and responsible mobility. As Kenya’s member of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), it runs initiatives like the Star Rating for Schools project, improving safety around learning institutions, and the Boda Licence na Mia campaign, promoting safe, affordable licensing for boda boda riders.
It also manages the African Best Young Driver program, empowering youth to champion safe driving practices through competition and training.
“We are not just teaching people how to drive,” says AA Kenya CEO Francis Theuri. “We are shaping a generation that understands mobility as a shared responsibility.”
A Legacy That Keeps Moving
From the Riley 12/50 that blazed Kenya’s first trails to today’s exploration of electric and smart mobility, AA Kenya’s story is one of courage, innovation, and purpose.
Over a century later, with more than 100,000 members nationwide, the Association remains the guardian of Kenyan roads and the conscience of its drivers.
Wherever there is a road in Kenya, from the rugged backroads of Turkana to the tarmac stretches of the Nairobi Expressway, traces of AA Kenya’s work are evident.
“Every milestone we have achieved is part of Kenya’s story,” Theuri reflects. “And our journey is still unfolding.”