The Ministry of Transport is gearing up for a nationwide road inspection campaign, with a specific emphasis on speed bumps.
In a statement seen by Kenyans.co.ke, Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) Director General Silas Kinoti on Saturday, September 2, stated that the initiative aims to comprehensively assess all speed bumps in the country.
The primary objective of this exercise is to ensure that every speed bump meets the government's established standards.
"The Ministry of Roads and Transport through the State Department for Roads has embarked on taking an inventory of all road bumps across the Country with the intention of standardizing them," Kinoti stated.
The exercise will be conducted by all road agencies, including the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA).
However, no specific timeframe has been announced for the completion of this exercise.
The initiative is particularly significant given the current situation, with the government taking measures to reduce road carnage.
According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), more than 2,100 Kenyans lost their lives to road carnage between January and June this year.
The NTSA has previously noted that unauthorised installed speed bumps significantly contribute to road carnage in the country. Former Acting Director General Charles Obuon in February 2017 observed that Kenyans across the country were erecting their own bumps to stop speeding.
According to the Roads Act, only road agencies are mandated to erect bumps with those contravening the law liable to a fine of Ksh100,000 or an imprisonment of one year.
"Except as provided in subsection (2), no person or body may erect, construct or lay, or establish any structure or other thing, on or over or below the surface of a road reserve or land in a building-restricted area," reads the Act in part.
Speed bumps come in various sizes, including smaller ones known as rumble strips, which consist of grooves that create vibrations when a motorist drives over them.
The vibrations serve as an alert to the driver, prompting them to slow down.
