The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) says 1,912 people have lost their lives to road accidents from January to May this year.
Speaking to the Star, NTSA Deputy Director Road Safety Duncan Kibogong said this is an increase of 9 percent of total fatalities on Kenyan roads as compared to a similar period last year where a total of 1754 road users lost their lives.
Kibogong said the increase in road accidents could be attributed to high levels of lawlessness among road users.
“Up to 80 percent of causes of road traffic injuries is because of behavioural aspects, how we behave on the roads," said Kibogong.
Kibogong also noted that motorists found flaunting traffic rules, particularly when on campaign trails will have their licenses revoked.
“We will not allow motorists to disobey traffic rules, people hanging on vehicles dangerously, excess passengers, motorcycles hooting and riding at high speeds. We have increased surveillance and we will have those particular ones arrested and arraigned,” Kibogong said.
He at the same time asked Kenyans to exercise caution on the roads and refrain from being excited about the political rallies which can make them lose their lives at any particular time.
This comes barely a day after Government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna issued a statement saying that they are worried about the high level of lawlessness exhibited by motorists and bodaboda riders when on the campaign trails.
Kibogong also revealed the NTSA in collaboration with the government and Kenya Roads Board among other stakeholders will organize a “National technical stakeholders conference” in Mombasa starting from June 7 to 9 this year to combat the rising cases of road accidents across the country.
Among key issues that will be deliberated on include; improving road safety and identification of measures that can be used to save lives in cases of accidents.
Kibogong said this will be followed by a series of road safety campaigns across the country as they seek to reduce road fatalities by 50 percent in 2030. - WANGUI MWANGI, The Star
