Kenya is among 13 African countries, including Tanzania and Uganda, where the left-hand drive (LHD) traffic rule applies as opposed to the right-hand drive (RHD).
However, there are two roads in Kenya that allow the drivers to break the rule — the Isiolo - Moyale Road that goes to the Ethiopia border and the Sirari Corridor which links Tanzania and South Sudan through Kenya.
Once drivers cross the Kenyan border into the RHD countries, they are forced to switch over lanes to avoid getting flagged down for breaking traffic rules.
Only 76 countries and territories of the world adhere to the "keep left" regulation with most of them lying on the lower half of the African continent.
This stark disparity presents a problem while crossing borders into countries where drivers keep right like Ethiopia, Southern Sudan, Rwanda and others.
The LHD rule was enacted in Kenya during the colonial rule and occurs in countries that are former British colonies.
The side used by drivers also affects the location of the steering wheel since the norm is for the driver's seat to be on the side of the road's centerline.
For this reason, several countries including Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo banned the importation of right-hand cars. Where these vehicles can be imported, vehicle owners are required to place a label marked LHD or RHD as necessary.
Interestingly, Rwanda conducted a study to determine whether it should switch to the left to conform with other East Africa Community (EAC) countries and boost cross-border trade but the study was inconclusive.
