National Police Service (NPS) has launched a nationwide operation ahead of the festive season and schools closure.
Through a statement released by the agency on Wednesday, December 15, police were prompted to initiate the crackdown owing to the spike in the number of road accidents.
The law enforcement officers noted that in the last couple of days, the number of road carnages increased with the most affected category being boda boda operators.
To contain the situation, NPS has vowed to collaborate with all commuters and drivers to ensure that cases of road accidents are reduced.
"Note that our officers will ever be present to offer any assistance as they ensure compliance with the rule of law. We thus appeal for maximum cooperation from the members of the public in reducing the number of road carnage," police stated.
In their advisory, they asked motorists and pedestrians to exercise diligence and caution while on the roads especially during the short rainy season.
NPS further advised the drivers to be on the lookout as schools were almost closing for the December holidays.
"It is in this regard that we urge all motorists, passengers and pedestrians to exercise diligence and caution on our roads as we approach the festive season and closure of schools."
The advisory follows a series of road accidents that have occurred in different parts of the country in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, December 14, two accidents were reported, one involving a Neo Kenya bus that overturned while ferrying students from Gititu mixed secondary in Murang’a. The other accident involved two high-end cars at the Sapache area on the Isiolo - Marsabit Highway that left five people dead.
On Saturday night, December 11, seven people were killed after three vehicles, two 14-seater public service vans, and a lorry, crashed at the Matsangoni area along the Mombasa - Malindi Highway.
These cases came just days after the tragic River Enziu accident where a bus capsized leaving 33 people dead. The tragedy turned into a national disaster and motorists were warned against driving through flooded water.
On the other hand, a lobby group moved to court on Wednesday, December 8, demanding that the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), be restored back to the roads to manage traffic.
NTSA unit was removed from the roads after President Uhuru Kenyatta issued a directive in 2018 due to increased cases of road carnages. NTSA was blamed for relapsing and failing to execute its mandate.
The lobby group argued that fatalities from road accidents have been on the rise since NTSA's exit.
