The National Transport and Safety Authority on Monday launched a road safety programme in Makueni to curb accidents in the county.
NTSA director general George Njao said Usalama Barabarani programme is funded by the European Union and will run for three years.
Njao said the objective of the initiative is to enhance road safety awareness to reduce the number of deaths through accidents.
“There is a need to strengthen road safety programmes and County Transport and Safety Committees to reduce the carnage,” he said.
The programme seeks to create awareness among Kenyans on road safety and trigger behavioural change.
“We need to change people’s mindsets by creating awareness. Arresting people is not sustainable and our aim is to have increased compliance,” Njao added.
Speaking during the launch of the programme in Wote town, Njao disclosed that NTSA will spend Sh420 million for the programme to be implemented along the Northern Corridor counties that have high numbers of road deaths.
They include Makueni, Nairobi, Nakuru, Kericho, Kisumu and Kakamega.
The director general also launched a five-day issuance of the smart driving licenses at the Makueni Huduma Centre and urged residents to take advantage of the exercise and register in large numbers.
He promised that NTSA will soon roll out mobile motor vehicles inspection units in the county as a way of decentralising services currently offered in Machakos county.
County commissioner Maalim Mohammed hailed the initiative, saying the national administration will collaborate with NTSA to increase public education and awareness on road safety.
“Information is key and there is a need to sensitise Kenyans on road etiquette,” Maalim said.
Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana said his government appreciates the plan by NTSA to roll out the safety programme.
Kivutha attributed the high number of accidents to the long stretch of Nairobi-Mombasa highway in the county and called for collaboration among all stakeholders to reduce the accidents.
Edited by Henry Makori
