Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has tightened the noose on speeding vehicles to curb road accidents.
The CS has instructed all heavy commercial vehicles with a tare weight of 3,049 kilogrammes and above to be fitted with speed limiters.
“In compliance with KS 2295:2018, all the 57 licensed speed limiter vendors must install approved gadgets that will limit speed, record speed data after every five seconds, transmit data to both the NTSA and the vendor servers and report violations in real-time,” he said.
Mr Murkomen also announced a vetting exercise for all public service vehicles from April 25 to May 31 by a multi-agency team that will verify and validate all speed limiters.
Further, the CS has instructed the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to complete road safety audits and install signage, reflectors and street lighting on all blackspots within 30 days.
“I have further instructed the road agencies to ensure cameras have been installed at all blackspots. The first phase to be completed within four months,” Mr Murkomen said.
The State will also subject drivers to mandatory retests before their driving licences are renewed starting June 1, while from July 1, the drivers will be subjected to mandatory medical fitness tests.
“I have directed NTSA to form a multi-agency enforcement team bringing together the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) and the National Police Service (NPS) to weed out distributors and suppliers of substandard products and spare parts,” he added.
Meanwhile, senators are pushing for the enforcement of punitive penalties on careless motorists who endanger the lives of other road users through reckless driving, including being banned from driving.
Nairobi resident petition
The development follows a petition by Mr Nick Moncha, a Nairobi resident, to the Senate to intervene and ensure the safety of road users.
This comes at a time when at least 35 lives have been lost in just a month in different road accidents, with 22 dying across the country in the past three days.
The most recent one is Tuesday's crash at the notorious Delamare black spot, which claimed six lives, bringing to 10 the number of fatalities along the busy Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret highway alone.
Senator Veronica Maina decried that road fatalities are alarmingly high, with Kenya only second to Nigeria.
The legislator complained that the Traffic department has not helped much to bring sanity to the roads, saying traffic officers continue to receive bribes even when offenders blatantly flout rules.
“It is shocking that most accidents and fatalities could have been avoided if we had an efficient camera system as well as one that enhances the use of driving licensing policy,” said Ms Maina.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot said the government should consider blacklisting rogue motorists.
He decried that Kenyans continue to lose their lives on the road on a daily basis and in large numbers.
“I want to demand from Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to leverage on technology to ensure bad drivers are first fined and eventually blacklisted from ever driving,” said the senator.
The petitioner had raised concerns over a lack of a footbridge along Waiyaki Way around the Chiromo area, a move that continues to put to risk the lives of the University of Nairobi students and other road users who have to literally run across the road amid speeding vehicles, endangering their lives in the process.
This is despite the fact that all roads should have provisions for pedestrian use in form of traffic lights, zebra crossings or footbridges to protect them from harm due to high numbers of speeding vehicles.
“I am asking the Senate to intervene to recommend that the relevant ministry and/or government agencies construct a footbridge at the area to enable pedestrians to cross the road easily and safely,” reads the petition in part.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale said the petition is an indictment on relevant authorities, citing the brazen impunity displayed by boda boda riders who often use the wrong side of the road.
“I have come up with a comprehensive Bill that will bring order in the sector. We shall work on it quickly so that we can do what Rwanda has done to their boda boda sector,” said the Majority Whip.
Senator Catherine Mumma called on the government to strictly enforce set standards during road construction, including providing spaces for persons with disability and pedestrians.
“We need drivers to be evaluated and vetted after every six months to ensure that drivers on the road are compliant to all rules and regulations; that will ensure the safety of our people,” added Senator Beth Syengo.
