The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has announced new measures to curb road accidents during the holiday period following a string of accidents involving school-going students.
In a statement released on Thursday, April 3, the Authority sounded the alarm over the recent accidents, which have largely been attributed to reckless driving.
"In the past, the country witnessed cases of reckless driving, distractions by students, and unfortunately, some of the incidents led to fatal and serious injuries," the NTSA said in a statement, noting that a collaborative effort from different stakeholders can minimize such incidents.
To mitigate the risks now that students are at home for the holidays, the NTSA announced that there would be a special focus on the behavior of PSV drivers and conductors, with those who flout traffic rules potentially facing serious repercussions.
The NTSA added, "Working with the National Police Service during this period and the Easter festivities, there will be a major focus on driver/conductor behavior, vehicle safety compliance, and Usalama Barabarani education.
"All motorists are therefore required to practice road safety and take responsibility for their actions."
The authority further highlighted a worrying statistic on Kenyan roads, revealing that 288 driving licenses had been suspended since October 2024 as a result of various road infractions.
A further 420 drivers had been subjected to a driver retest after public reports of driver misconduct and speed violations recorded on the NTSA Intelligent Road Safety Management System (IRSMS).
The NTSA's statement comes after a week of horrific accidents, which have mostly involved students. On Wednesday, five students from Mbita Boys High School were knocked down by a speeding private car in Mbita town, Homa Bay County, as they were heading home for the April holidays.
Eyewitnesses recount that the car was moving at an alarming speed, indicating the driver was possibly intoxicated at the time of the incident. Two of the students succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment.
Incidentally, just hours earlier, ten students from Ober Boys Boarding got involved in an accident along the Sondu-Katito highway, leading to the loss of four lives.
The accident occurred when a 14-seater, in which the students were traveling, lost control and rammed into a stalled truck carrying sugarcane.
While there are suggestions of human error leading to the tragedy, Nyakach OCPD Laurinus Odinga claimed the accident occurred on a sharp bend, and no signs indicated that the trailer had been parked along the highway.
