Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has advised parents to ensure that vehicles their children board to school are safe.
In a statement shared on Sunday, the Cabinet Secretary indicated that parents are responsible to ensure that their children travel on safe routes even as heavy rains continue pounding different parts of the country.
He further promised that all drivers caught breaking traffic rules would be interdicted.
"Drivers who endanger the lives of other road users by ignoring traffic regulations or crossing dangerous waters will be held accountable for their actions," he stated.
"Parents also play a key role in ensuring their children’s safety. They should choose safe routes and coordinate with school administrators to set up safe pick-up and drop-off points. They should also release children on their trips back to school early."
The CS further noted that officers from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the Police will be deployed to intensify enforcement of traffic rules.
"This new term coincides with heavy rains, creating hazardous road conditions due to flooding and damaged infrastructure," he added.
"Road users should not underestimate the dangers of rain and flooding, as even shallow pools can hide deep potholes or deep currents. To minimise risks, drivers should maintain a safe distance, slow down and exercise patience in areas with heavy rain or flooding."
NTSA Director General George Njao, in an earlier message, had asked parents to ensure that they talk to drivers to foster road safety talk.
He argued that the talk is poised to make a big difference in the manner through which the drivers will handle their children.
"Make the drivers listen to you, for the sake of the many innocent children they will be taking back to school," Njao stated.
"Remember, until the children arrive in school, their safety is in the hands of the drivers, and that should not be taken lightly."
Reports indicate that upwards of 70 people have perished and 40,000 others left homeless as floods continue affecting several regions.
Some schools have been destroyed making learning impossible with the Ministry of Education promising to adjust the reopening dates for severely affected institutions.
