On a warm afternoon in downtown Nairobi, a queue snakes around the Easy Coach booking office. The passengers waiting patiently aren’t just looking for a ride; they expect an experience of comfort, safety, and reliability. For two decades, this has been the promise of Easy Coach, the long-distance bus company that transformed how Kenyans travel. And behind it all is one man: Azym Dossa.
Dossa, a quiet but determined businessman, built Easy Coach from the ground up, turning a simple idea into one of Kenya’s most respected transport brands. After 20 years at the helm, the 70-year-old is stepping back, handing over the reins to a new generation. His journey, however, is one of vision, discipline, and an unwavering belief that Kenyan travelers deserve better.
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From CFO to entrepreneur
Before he became a transport mogul, Dossa was the Chief Financial Officer at Akamba Bus, a once-dominant transport company. For 17 years, he watched the industry’s highs and lows, learning what worked—and, more importantly, what didn’t.
“I saw the gaps. I saw the frustrations of passengers,” he once told a close associate. “And I knew we could do better.”
In 2003, he launched Easy Coach with a small team and a bold idea. The plan was simple: to provide a different kind of bus service that valued timeliness, customer care, and comfort over sheer numbers. Starting with just seven buses, Easy Coach began its first route between Nairobi and Kisumu, a corridor long plagued by delays, overcrowding, and unpredictable schedules.
Building a brand on trust
From the beginning, Easy Coach operated differently. The company enforced strict departure times—buses left on schedule, whether full or not. The vehicles were spotless, and security was paramount. Drivers underwent rigorous training, and passengers were assured of smooth, predictable journeys.
At a time when many Kenyan bus operators crammed in extra seats and played deafening music, Easy Coach did the opposite. Its buses were spacious, and the only soundtrack was the low hum of the engine. Passengers took note, and loyalty grew quickly.
“There was no magic to it,” Dossa explained in a past interview with the Business Daily. “We just respected our customers. We did what we said we would do.”
Dossa’s passion for the company never waned. “One of my passions is my company because I saw it growing gradually in the right direction, and it has become more of a challenge to keep climbing,” he said.
Many had predicted the company would flatline after four years and then crash, but he refused to believe them.
His focus on passenger experience set Easy Coach apart. “Before starting this firm, I noticed that no company in the long-distance travel sector had a waiting lounge with washrooms for their passengers,” he recalled. “You’d go round the corner and look for a bush [to relieve yourself], haha!”
From the start, he insisted on offering something better. Despite industry skepticism, he charged slightly more than competitors—Sh500 when Akamba charged Sh400. “Mzee (old man)! You can’t charge more money,” his staff told him. But he stood firm, knowing that quality service would attract customers.
Running a transport business in Kenya has never been easy. The industry is notorious for erratic fuel prices, rogue competition, and ever-changing government regulations. Yet, through all this, Easy Coach thrived.
Azym Dossa refused to cut corners. His company never overloaded buses despite the potential for higher profits. He paid his staff well and ensured his fleet was regularly serviced. When rival firms slashed fares in desperate attempts to gain market share, Easy Coach held firm, betting customers would pay more for peace of mind.
And they did.
Expansion and success
Easy Coach’s steady growth was built on listening to customers. When passengers from Kakamega traveled to Kisumu to board Easy Coach, he opened a route there. “People from Kakamega would take a matatu to Kisumu to use our buses. So, we started a Kakamega route.”
Over the years, Easy Coach expanded methodically. By 2019, the company had grown to over 100 buses, covering more than 70 destinations across Kenya and Uganda. The secret to this expansion? Controlled growth and customer trust.
“Azym never rushed,” says a former senior employee. “He wasn’t trying to be the biggest, just the best. He focused on doing things right.”
Easy Coach’s impact went beyond business. Azym Dossa quietly engaged in philanthropy, funding children’s education, donating reflector jackets to boda boda riders, and offering free transport for students from underprivileged backgrounds. Employees, too, were part of his vision—many were given financial support to educate their children or start small businesses on the side.
“Being able to take care of your staff’s welfare is the best part of being a CEO,” Dossa reflected. “We have almost 900 people working for us. The first thing I do [when they join the company] is to offer them a way to borrow money for school fees and pay it back in four installments, which is usually when the next term starts. I have not lost any money doing that.”
The transition
After two decades of shaping Kenya’s transport sector, Azym Dossa announced his retirement in early 2025, citing age and health concerns. In a heartfelt memo to employees, he expressed gratitude for their dedication and assured them that Easy Coach’s future remained bright.
The company’s technical director, Zulfiqar Adatia, has stepped in as the acting managing director, with plans to appoint a CEO to oversee future growth. Despite Azym Dossa’s departure, Easy Coach is set on an ambitious path, eyeing regional expansion into Tanzania and Rwanda.
A legacy that will last
Few entrepreneurs leave behind an industry-shifting legacy, but Azym Dossa has done just that. In a sector known for chaos and shortcuts, he proved that discipline, ethics, and respect for customers could still drive success.
Today, thousands of Kenyans board Easy Coach buses daily, and they do so with the quiet assurance that they will arrive safely and on time—just as Dossa intended. And though he may no longer be at the helm, his legacy continues to roll forward, mile after mile, on Kenya’s highways.
