The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has ordered the Mololine matatu fleet to undergo mandatory inspection following a road accident that claimed nine lives.
A report by KBC on Tuesday, March 2, indicated that the authority had ordered inspection on the entire fleet of 400 Public Service Vehicles (PSVs).
Drivers from Mololine sacco were also ordered to present themselves within 14 days for re-testing before they can be allowed back on the road.
Mololine Chairman Njoroge Bomasu confirmed that the sacco officials had been ordered to present their fleet for inspection in Nakuru.
“We also wish to appeal to all our road users to exercise great caution while on the road. Life is precious and we all have an obligation to protect it.
"Mololine Sacco regrets that the carnage claimed its very loyal customers,” stated Bomasu.
The NTSA directive comes two weeks after nine people died on Friday morning, February 12, in an accident involving a trailer and a matatu. Eight people died on the spot while one succumbed while being rushed to hospital.
The accident occurred near St Marys hospital in Gilgil, along the Nairobi - Nakuru Highway.
Two people survived the crash and were rushed to the hospital for treatment. The matatu was reportedly reduced to a shell following the accident.
Road safety continues to present significant challenges in Kenya as a result of the many lives lost on the roads. Road crash statistics as at October 31, 2020 indicated a 5.8%increase in fatalities.
From the reports, road crashes claimed the lives of 3,114 persons compared to a similar period in 2019 where 2,942 lives were lost. From the analysis, human related factors such as speeding, reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, drunk driving, drunk walking, drunkriding, failure to use helmets among others, were blamed for the crashes.
