Following the Pwani University bus accident that claimed 16 lives and a series of other crashes, the Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) on Wednesday, April 5, asked Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to fix design flaws on the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway urgently.
Peter Murima, the association chairperson, implored Murkomen to prioritise dualling the Kayole section to Moredat.
Further, the stakeholders also wanted the Kenya National Highways Authority (KenHA) to provide separate service roads to cater to local traffic.
Besides creating service lanes, motorists asked the government to rehabilitate the abandoned road running parallel to the existing one from Naivasha to Nakuru.
"Make South Lake Junction an interchanging Junction to prevent accident with direct traffic," Murima stated.
"Ensure Self-Regulation on the part of our members," the members further demanded.
The motorists identified Karai, Kinungi, Morendat, Kayole and Marula as the new black spots on the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway.
Murima indicated that the rising cases of fatal road accidents were due to design flaws on the highway, including unplanned speed bumps.
The association expressed worry revealing that Naivasha Sub-County casualty receives an average of 10 casualties daily.
"The Karai Laini Kayole South lake Junction KCC are all due to road design under Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA)," Murima stated.
"It cannot be that drivers get mad only when they get to this section. Pointing to driver error every time is to hide the criminal negligence on the part of the highway authority," he insisted.
Besides design flaws, motorists pointed an accusing finger at the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), alleging that it was responsible for unroadworthy vehicles causing accidents. This was after preliminary reports alleged that the Pwani University bus had a faulty braking system, leading to the accident.
Additionally, the motorists castigated car owners and fleet managers for ignoring demands from drivers. Some drivers were also reprimanded for lacking requisite experience leading to fatal accidents.
However, the Motorists Association of Kenya assured road users that it had launched a campaign to empower and educate Kenyans to address the road accidents surge.
