Traffic offenders could soon face real-time prosecution and instant penalties if new proposals by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Renson Ingonga, are adopted.
During a meeting with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) on Thursday, Ingonga proposed the creation of a joint digital integration and evidence-sharing framework between the NTSA, the National Police Service (NPS), and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
According to the DPP, the goal is to streamline investigations and enable the timely prosecution of traffic offences.
The DPP stated that the proposed system would allow for secure, real-time data exchange among the agencies, helping to curb the increasing number of road carnages.
Further, the DPP emphasized the need to enhance the training of prosecutors and NTSA officers in the use of digital evidence and technologies such as speed detection cameras, alco-blow devices, and effective scene management techniques.
"Equipping our officers with modern tools and skills will significantly improve the collection of credible evidence and the prosecution of traffic-related cases," Ingonga noted.
Meanwhile, the DPP stressed the importance of public sensitization initiatives to educate Kenyans on the mandates of the ODPP and NTSA, as well as the implications of traffic offences.
Such efforts, he stated, are vital in promoting a culture of road safety and compliance with traffic laws.
Earlier in February, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja announced plans to introduce a digital system for instant traffic fines, following a rise in incidents involving police officers accepting bribes along major highways in Kenya.
Kanja noted that the initiative would help curb graft by allowing drivers to pay fines immediately after a traffic offence is recorded, thereby reducing physical contact between traffic officers and motorists.
He also emphasised that the digitisation of traffic management would lead to fewer traffic police officers on the roads.
''We are working to digitise traffic management by introducing instant fines. This will allow motorists to pay penalties immediately, minimising direct interactions between officers and drivers and reducing opportunities for graft,'' he said during his visit to St Joseph Allamano Secondary School, Mbiriri in Nyeri County.
