Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru during Jukwaa la Usalama event in Kirinyaga on August 22, 2025 [WAIGURU/FB]Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has raised fresh concerns over the rising number of accidents caused by reckless miraa driving, warning that the trend has escalated into a national security threat.
Speaking during the Jukwaa la Usalama forum in Kirinyaga on Friday, Waiguru said the Embu–Mwea highway has become a danger zone, with miraa vehicles frequently involved in fatal crashes.
She admitted that despite several interventions, including the installation of bumps, the accidents have persisted, leaving county authorities frustrated.
“We have had very many accidents on our road from Embu to Mwea because of the miraa vehicles. We have attempted to install bumps, but I don’t know what to do now,” she said.
The governor revealed that Kirinyaga alone has lost about 25 lives to crashes involving miraa vehicles in the past year.
She added that the toll could be significantly higher when combined with figures from neighbouring Embu and Murang’a counties, through which the miraa transport vehicles also pass.
“In just one year, we have lost about 25 lives. Those are too many lives to lose in Kirinyaga. If Kirinyaga is 25, I don’t know how many may have died in Embu or from here heading to Murang’a,” Waiguru said, calling the situation a matter of national importance.
Waiguru suggested a range of stricter measures, including the installation of speed governors on miraa vehicles, rerouting them from high-risk stretches, or more stringent enforcement of traffic laws.
While stopping short of calling for a ban, she argued that decisive action was necessary to save lives.
“We can be a bit more strict with those vehicles. I don’t want to say we ban them, but maybe consider changing the route,” she added.
The governor appealed for the support of the Interior Ministry in implementing stronger enforcement mechanisms.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who was also present during the event, backed her concerns and reiterated the government’s commitment to a crackdown on reckless miraa drivers.
Waiguru stressed that the issue is no longer a matter of county concern alone but a broader national security challenge.
