The Inspector General of the National Police Service, Douglas Kanja, has ordered an immediate nationwide crackdown on traffic violations following an alarming spike in road accidents six days into the new year.
The directive, which was issued on Wednesday, mandated stringent enforcement targeting all drivers across the country. The National Police Service expressed concern and regret over the increase in road traffic accidents, which have also resulted in devastating injuries and property destruction.
In a statement, NPS Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga described the situation as unacceptably alarming and a crisis demanding immediate, collective, and decisive action.
Preliminary analysis of the majority of accidents pointed towards preventable human errors. The causes included reckless driving, speeding, driver fatigue, driving under the influence, and persistent violations by boda boda riders, including travelling the wrong way and riding on walkways.
The Inspector General effectively directed all Regional, County, and Sub-County Traffic Police Commanders to institute measures for stringent, continuous high visibility enforcement targeting all manner of traffic violations.
Particular emphasis was placed on speeding, drunk-driving, unroadworthy vehicles, and PSV compliance, with an intensification of breathalyser tests. The statement also highlighted that courts would remain on standby to take appropriate action on all forms of violations.
Targeted operations were to be enhanced at blackspots across the country based on data from crash mapping systems. The NPS would also continue working with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and other transport stakeholders in a multiagency framework.
The enforcement agencies had remained on roads throughout the festive period enforcing the highway code, but the recent spike in fatalities prompted the intensified measures.
The police service urged all drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, boda boda riders, and passengers to comply with traffic rules and regulations, particularly as pupils and students returned to school and colleges after the festive period.
They also appealed to Saccos, owners of public service vehicles, and boda boda associations to rigorously self-regulate, install and monitor speed governors, manage driver fatigue through proper and verifiable shift schedules, and conduct regular vehicle maintenance.
The latest directives come as a direct response to recent accidents in the new year, which have already claimed the lives of 31 people.
Despite the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA)'s consistent compliance checks, accidents have persisted, particularly at night, prompting truck drivers to call for an end to the enforcement measures.
