Statistics from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) show that road crashes in Kenya went up by 17.3 percent as of December 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.
Image: John Kamau
Zetech University has partnered with road agencies to improve safety awareness and enhance behavioural change to reduce the rising deaths associated with reckless driving.
The university will work with Advanced Road Users Safety Institute— that champions for road safety, and Kenya National Highways Authority.
In a commitment to foster civic responsibility, the university has worked with the two organisations to install road signs along key roads and highways, among them the Thika Superhighway and at the same time educate road users on the merits of sanity on the roads.
Statistics from the National Transport and Safety Authority shows road crashes in Kenya went up by 17.3 per cent as of December 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.
Data shows that 15,918 people had lost their lives in road accidents in December 2020, while 19,571 died as of December 2021.
Motorcyclists accounted for the highest number of mortalities, with 1,634 deaths, followed by pedestrians at 1,477, passengers came third at 727 while drivers accounted for the least number at 426.
Speaking during the handover of the signages, Zetech's Vice Chancellor Prof Njenga Munene said the institutions and organisations have a role to play in enriching the lives of the community, country and the world at large.
Mbaria Kiama from ARUSi said safe road practices can be achieved through advocating for behavioural change among all road users.
Zetech has been pursuing partnerships with corporate players to boost its training and research partnerships.
A few weeks ago, the university inked a training and research partnership with University of Juba that will see Zetech collaborate and develop joint hospitality and tourism programmes for the South Sudan-based higher institution of learning.
The learning will be conducted in Juba through shared faculties and will also involve student exchange programmes, the two institutions said through a joint statement signed by University of Juba Vice-chancellor Prof John Akec and Prof Munene.
The two institutions further said the partnership will involve exchange of academic materials as well as the publications. It will also facilitate attachment of staff to enable curriculum development and review, upgrading of teaching and research skills in addition to participating in seminars, symposiums and academic discussions.
“We are committed to changing the landscape of education in the world with a mission to provide holistic higher education through promoting excellence in research, integrating innovation and technology in learning, and developing well-rounded citizens to impact the social, political and economic world."
"This is solely one of the reasons we have partnered with the University of Juba which is a leading educational centre of excellence that is committed to national economic empowerment and social transformation,” Prof Munene said.
The two institutions at the same time said the Memorandum of Understanding entered will also touch on promoting academic and research cooperation.
"In our agreement, we hope to have exchange students selected by mutual agreement between the home institution and the host institution and these students will continue to be treated as full-time students at their home institution. We hope to collaborate and engage jointly in research including grant proposal writing, and research publishing,” Prof Akec said.
Zetech currently has a population of over 7,000 students both private and government sponsored through KUCCPS with its main campus in Ruiru.
The University of Juba is a public university in Juba, South Sudan. It was founded in 1975 in response to the need for higher education in southern areas of Sudan.