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“Mr IG, Mr DG, please, I expect greater collaboration so that we can see results coming down,” he said.
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Ruto also emphasised the need for the public and other road users to participate fully in ensuring the safety of the roads.
Image: PCS
President William Ruto has directed the traffic police and the National Transport and Safety Authority to work together to enhance safety on the roads.
Ruto acknowledged that for a long time, there has been a disconnect and competition between the two agencies in terms of enforcement of traffic rules something he attributed to the failure to achieve the desired results.
Speaking during the launch of the National Road Safety Action Plan 2024-28, Ruto told the Inspector General of Police and the NTSA director general to ensure this is effected immediately.
“Mr IG, Mr DG, please, I expect greater collaboration so that we can see results coming down,” he said.
Ruto also emphasised the need for the public and other road users to participate fully in ensuring the safety of the roads.
He challenged Kenyans to report any violations of traffic rules noting this was part of their civic duty even as he urged them to avoid travelling in overloaded vehicles.
Operators of the public service vehicles found carrying passengers in excess, he said, will be made to reimburse fares upon arrest.
According to the head of state, there were currently over 20,000 people in hospitals as a result of road accidents hence the need to put more focus on ways to reduce it.
The National Road Safety Action Plan 2024-28 aims at bringing the number of accidents down to 50 per cent.
Ruto also highlighted the importance of instant fines on the roads saying this will ensure accountability on the part of the motorists and even passengers.
“Bwana Waziri, 90 days is too long, let us do it now so that we can get everyone behaving because they know someone is watching,” he added.
He said there should be no exemptions for drivers regardless of the vehicle they are operating.
Ruto also expressed his commitment to ensuring the proper execution of the plan by providing resources and legal frameworks as he called for concerted efforts among ministries and other stakeholders.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on his part has underlined the need to address the address the boda boda sector as a way of reducing accidents in the country.
Murkomen said motorcycles are the leading cause of accidents in the country today having surpassed the public service vehicles and private vehicles.
“If we are going to sort the road accidents issue, we have to deal with boda bodas,” he said.
He revealed that there are currently 2.5 million motorcycles in the country where about 1.5 million are active.
He noted that between 2000 and 2008, PSVs and private cars accounted for the highest number of deaths but today 38 per cent of the people killed are pedestrians followed by 32 per cent being caused by boda bodas.
He also noted that some 26 per cent of the deaths are caused by PSVs and private vehicles.