Public transport drivers and the Transport Cabinet Secretary have been identified as major contributors to the high number of road accidents witnessed on Kenyan roads this year.
According to a survey released by Trends and Insights For Africa (TIFA), 29 percent of the respondents believe that matatus and bus drivers are responsible for the majority of traffic incidents. Other entities mentioned in the survey include Murkomen at 25%, the Traffic Police Unit at 12%, the National Traffic Safety Authority at 6%, and the Kenya National Highways Authority at 3%.
The survey, conducted between April 27 and April 29, targeted 2,912 respondents across 9 zones. It was carried out via telephone with respondents whose contacts were collected face to face.
In recent years, both the traffic police and the government transport sector have faced scrutiny due to the increasing number of road accidents.
Transport Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen, has denied allegations that his ministry is responsible for the rise in traffic accidents that have claimed hundreds of lives.
“So many people are obsessed with the Transport Cabinet Secretary. Every time anything happens, they ask, where is the minister? People even enter into overloaded vehicles and take videos and pictures, asking, where is Murkomen? He has failed. Murkomen has failed,” CS Murkomen stated.
He advised the public to direct their concerns toward the NTSA and the Traffic Police Department, stating that both organizations are responsible for maintaining traffic safety.
The CS also announced that all Public Service Vehicles and heavy commercial vehicle drivers will undergo mandatory medical re-testing.
