A campaign to reduce accidents along the busy Thika-Mang'u-Flyover road has kicked off in Gatundu North, Kiambu County.
The exercise spearheaded by area MP Elijah Njoroge Kururia in collaboration with area traffic police and players in the transport sector, seeks to zero-rate carnages that have been on the rise in recent months.
In the last four months, close to 10 people perished in mishaps along the road, while scores have been left nursing life-threatening injuries.
In May, two students lost their lives along the road.
Jane Mugure and Francis Muiruri, 17, who are form three and form four students respectively at Kanjuku secondary school were riding on a motorbike when they were hit by another speeding motorcycle that pushed them towards a speeding vehicle, along the Mang'u-Flyover road.
Mugure succumbed to the injuries while being rushed to Thika Level Five Hospital while Muiruri passed on while receiving treatment.
Two weeks prior to the carnage, six people died in another accident in the Nyamathumbi area along the road after two matatus crashed in a head-on collision.
MP Kururia said that in the campaign, officers from his office will work closely with area traffic cops to sensitize motorists and other road users on adhering to laid down traffic rules and regulations as well as other safe practices to adhere to while on the road.
The MP also revealed that he has initiated an initiative that seeks to offer training lessons to youths in the area as a way of ensuring that they acquire the requisite knowledge and skills that will go a long way in ensuring that they become careful and responsible drivers while on the road.
“We are concerned with the increasing cases of accidents that are claiming innocent lives of our people. This initiative is aimed at reducing these accidents and restoring sanity in our roads,” Kururia said.
Kururia spoke at Kamwangi town while flagging off some 300 youths drawn from the four wards in Gatundu North, including Githobokoni, Chania, Mang'u and Gituamba, who will benefit from the initiative.
The MP observed that carnages that occur along the road emanate from reckless driving, overspeeding and flaunting of traffic rules by motorists.
“The training will ensure that we have competent drivers and operators on our roads,” he said.
He at the same time divulged that construction of the road has picked pace adding that the government is seeking more funds, amounting to about Sh1 billion, to complete the works.
Tarmacking is already at the Barigito area while ground works have been done up to the Gakoe area.
Other roads the MP is lobbying for allocation of resources include the Mau Mau roads stretching from Kanda Komu-Watathi-Gatei-Mwimuto as well as the Gatukuyu-Makwa-Ng'ethu road.
The roads are expected to open up the region for more investments and boost transport in the region.
Locals led by Pastor Moses Mwangi alias Dynamic called on the contractor building the Thika-Mang'u-Flyover road to erect speed bumps and road signage as a way of curbing perennial accidents.
“We are tired of losing innocent lives to mishaps along this road. one the factors contributing to the increase in these accidents is lack of road signs. We plead with the contract to act with speed and erect relevant road signs along the road,” Mwangi said.
Beneficiaries of the initiative led by Maureen Wanjiku and Michael Ng'ang'a said that besides equipping them with proper skills to operate safely on roads, the training will go a long way in preparing them for job opportunities which will in turn turnaround their living standards.
