Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Wednesday vowed to take administrative action against a county truck driver captured on camera driving against the flow of traffic and obstructing fellow motorists.
Responding to a video shared by activist Boniface Mwangi, Sakaja regretted the incident observing that it was not right for the county government to penalize motorcycle riders and motorists while its own drivers were flouting traffic regulations.
"This is completely unacceptable. Will take administrative action. Thanks for sharing," the Nairobi County Governor stated while acknowledging the mistake.
Sakaja also promised to brief Nairobi residents on the action his office will take to address the case.
Mwangi, an activist, known for exposing rogue drivers, especially, senior government officials, published the video on his X, formerly Twitter account.
"This is a Nairobi County lorry on the wrong side blocking Kenyatta Avenue. He is likely in a hurry to go sell water," Mwangi called out the driver.
The activist called on Inspector General Japhet Koome and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to take action to rein in on the rogue driver.
"Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Inspector General of Police need to pronounce themselves on how government, county, parastatals and politicians’ vehicles use the road," Mwangi stated.
Road Accidents
Even as this happened, reckless driving has been identified as a leading cause of road accidents in Kenya.
In April, Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot called for tough penalties to be imposed on reckless and rogue drivers to tame the rising number of road crashes.
At the time, the country had recorded many road accidents leading to public outrage. Kenyans called for tougher regulation to restore sanity in the transport sector.
Meanwhile statistics shared by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) show that between January and June 2023, a total of 2,124 lives were lost in road accidents across Kenya.
