Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen has announced a raft of changes in the transport sector in a move meant to curb road carnage.
The CS, while revealing that the changes come after consulting with his interior counterpart CS Kithure Kindiki, directed the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to collaborate with the National Police Service (NPS) for efficient enforcement.
"Having consulted with my Interior and National Coordination colleague, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, we are going to establish a mechanism where the previous directive to remove NTSA from enforcement will be vacated and a collaborative regime between NTSA and NPS will be put in place for a more efficient enforcement," CS Murkomen said.
"You will be seeing a return of the NTSA working with traffic police to enforce traffic safety on our roads as soon as possible," he added.
The CS also announced the resumption of re-testing for all PSV and Heavy commercial drivers which had been postponed effectively immediately.
Other directives issued by the CS include the implementation of medical testing for all drivers before renewal and issuance of driving licences.
In addition to that, CS Murkomen also urged NPS and NTSA to intensify the ongoing nationwide crackdown on unroadworthy vehicles.
The CS also extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and reiterated his unwavering commitment to ensuring that similar incidents do not recur.
"On behalf of the Ministry and myself, I wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends who have lost their loved ones and wish a quick recovery to those who have been injured in the various accidents reported across the country," the CS added.
Murkomen's directives follow after a ghastly road accident that claimed eleven lives along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway.
The accident occurred past Maungu in Voi Sub-County and involved a trailed and a Kenyatta University bus heading for a trip to Mombasa.
Twenty-one others were left sustaining injuries and are currently receiving treatment at various health centres including a hospital in Voi and Avenue Hospital in Parklands, Nairobi.
The bodies of the fatalities were moved to the Kenyatta University Funeral Home.
The unfortunate incident occurred shortly after another grisly accident in Bomet that claimed five lives.
After the incidents, Interior CS Kindiki also commented on the matter saying his docket was hatching new measures to help curb road carnage and tame unroadworthy vehicles.
"We are coming up with nationwide law enforcement measures against traffic offences, drunk driving and unroadworthy vehicles," he said.
