Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has declared a nationwide campaign targeting vehicles deemed unroadworthy due to a surge in road accidents.
The initiative comes as a response to the escalating number of collisions across the country. Notably, a recent tragedy involving a Kenyatta University bus resulted in the loss of 11 students who were en route to Mombasa on Monday, March 18.
On the official opening of the Kisumu West Deputy County Commissioner’s Complex, Kindiki directed law enforcement agencies across the Country to immediately develop and implement a Nationwide program for Traffic Law enforcement to stem the devastating tide of deaths and injuries arising from road traffic accidents.
In addition, Kindiki said the crackdown will also target pedestrians who are found to be in contravention of traffic rules.
“The Enforcement Program to be run concurrently by the Traffic Department of the Kenya Police Service (KPS) and the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) will remove unroadworthy vehicles from the roads, apprehend all traffic offenders including drivers, riders and pedestrians, and enforce all traffic laws,” kindiki stated.
Kindiki also vowed to arrest and prosecute corrupt officers. He stated that corrupt officers get bribes allowing unconditioned vehicles to operate hence causing accidents that could be protected.
In the same regard, transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen is set to appear before senators for a summon over the recent surge in the number of road crashes.
Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa who is the chairperson of the Senate’s Roads, Transportation and Housing Committee in a statement on March 19 revealed that the Senators would be summoning Murkomen.
He further revealed that the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) will also be summoned to explain the recent surge of accidents.
According to the Kiambu Senator, both sides will be requested to elucidate upon the recent surge in road accidents and the measures they have implemented to mitigate and prevent such occurrences in the future.
Thang’wa made the remarks as he extended his deepest condolences to the families of Kenyatta University (KU) students who tragically lost their lives following a fatal road crash along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway.
