Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced a policy change on Tuesday, March 19, reversing the directive issued by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, which had ordered National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) officers off the roads.
Murkomen stated that the decision came after consultations with Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki. The new policy aims to establish a collaborative regime between NTSA and the National Police Service (NPS) for more effective enforcement of traffic laws. NTSA officers will now work in partnership with traffic police, departing from the previous directive issued in 2018.
The announcement follows a tragic accident along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway on Monday, involving a Kenyatta University bus and a trailer, which claimed the lives of 11 students and left 20 others seriously injured. Additionally, five individuals lost their lives in another accident in Bomet County on the same day.
CS Kindiki, commenting on the recent spike in road accidents, declared a nationwide operation to curb road carnage. The government is drafting a document outlining measures to guide this new direction, focusing on enforcing traffic laws, preventing drunk driving, and ensuring vehicle roadworthiness.
The operation, which involves the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Transport, and the NTSA, aims to address the abnormal number of road fatalities in the country, which has seen approximately 4,000 deaths in a short period. Kindiki emphasized the importance of combating corruption on the roads and urged all road users to comply with traffic regulations, including motorcycle riders.