Mohamed Ahmed Abdulle
Mohamed Ahmed Abdulle, a Kenyan logistics impresario has hauled a one-truck family outfit into a billion-shilling artery for East and Central Africa’s fuel economy. Since taking the reins of Dakawou Transport in 2014, the University of Nairobi graduate has tripled fleet size, rolled out GPS-enabled dispatch that slashes turn-around times, and won long-term haulage contracts for Oil Libya, Shell, Rubis and Bamburi Cement. Annual turnover topped KSh 1 billion by 2019, and the company’s 500 drivers and technicians now move more than two million litres of petroleum and bulk cargo every week, feeding projects from the Standard Gauge Railway to the Nairobi Expressway.
Abdulle pairs growth with conscience. He has pushed gender-inclusive hiring that places women behind the wheel of 30-tonne tankers, funds vocational scholarships for youth from Marsabit to Mombasa, and maintains a relief convoy that ferries water to drought-hit counties at cost. His efforts earned him a place on Business Daily’s 2023 Top 40 Under 40 list, yet he calls the accolade “fuel for the next leg.” With plans to add LNG-powered rigs and a regional driver-training academy, Abdulle is steering Dakawou toward a future where cleaner, smarter transport keeps Africa’s development literally on the road.