Less than 24 hours after the Ministry of Transport dispatched a multi-agency team to inspect accident-prone areas across the country, the Motorists Association of Kenya has launched a blistering attack on road safety agencies, accusing them of negligence, graft and engaging in “public relations theatrics” whenever road carnage sparks public outrage.
In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, the lobby said the agencies, despite being heavily funded by taxpayers and donors, have failed to tackle the root causes of the tragedies that continue to claim hundreds of lives each year.
“It is immoral and shameful that whenever road accidents spike and claim the lives of many innocent Kenyans, triggering public outrage, the very agencies mandated, funded, and entrusted to safeguard road safety suddenly awaken from slumber only to engage in public relations theatrics,” the statement read in part.
The association alleged that these agencies take protection money to overlook blatant violations of traffic laws, issue empty statements, and hold press conferences to lecture the public instead of holding themselves accountable.
They claimed the same bodies license incompetent drivers, carry out sham vehicle inspections, and misuse donor funding meant for safety measures. “These agencies… are directly responsible, by both commission and omission, for the needless deaths on our roads,” it added.
Citing a BBC investigation, the lobby said many driving licences are issued without proper skills assessment, while a significant number of commercial vehicles bypass genuine inspection. It also referenced an Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission report that estimated police extort motorists to the tune of Ksh3 billion every month.
The statement further criticised the State Department for Roads for ignoring fatalities linked to poor infrastructure designs. The Kisumu Coptic Church Roundabout, identified by Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o and residents as a high-risk junction, was stated as an example of a design hazard that remains unaddressed.
Kenya Railways was also accused by the association of flouting the law by failing to install safety barriers at railway crossings despite earning billions annually. The association noted fatal crashes at Mutindwa, Ruiru, Dandora, and Moredat, saying the cost of installing and manning barriers would be negligible compared to the corporation’s income.
“The public transport subsector, notorious for habitual law-breaking, operates hand in glove with complicit public officials. Their goal is to dupe the public with soothing words while changing nothing,” the statement read.
The lobby argued that such failings point to systemic rot, with officials prioritising personal gain over public service. It warned that unless entrenched corruption and impunity are addressed, Kenya’s road carnage will persist regardless of government announcements.
The association’s remarks came just hours after Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir ordered the multi-agency team to submit recommendations within seven days following a recent surge in road crashes.
However, the Motorists Association dismissed such directives as “knee-jerk PR stunts” designed to pacify the public until outrage fades, insisting that the Cabinet Secretary and the police must take full responsibility for ensuring a safe, efficient, and lawful transport system.
