By Dorothy Musyoka
In a statement released on November 15, 2024, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Acting (AG) Interior Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has called for increased road safety measures as the country heads into the festive seasin.
“As we approach the festive season, I urge all road users to exercise extra caution and vigilance to ensure the safety of all and as our students sitting for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams and Kenyans prepare for the festive season I would like to urge all motorists to exercise extra caution on our roads,” read the statement.
According to the statistics shared by Dr. Mudavadi, in the month of January -November in the year 2024 Kenya has seen more fatalities compared to last year in the same period.
“Between January and November, we have lost 4,047 people, compared to 3,726 during the same period last year.There have been a total of 20,369 accidents, compared to 19,262 in 2023.Among these accidents, there were 10,124 serious injuries, up from 9,059 last year,” stated Dr.Mudavadi.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary directed all traffic police officers to ensure that Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) are roadworthy and operate from their licensed routes.
“I hereby instruct all traffic police officers to ensure that all PSVs are roadworthy and are driven safely.They must ensure that all PSV on the road have the registered name of the sacc/company/institution, have inspection status and operate from their licensed routes.Also important is that each PSV must have a valid road service licence,” the Prime Cabinet Secretary added.
Additionally Mudavadi mourned the victims of the accident that occurred at Iguhu Bridge along the Kisumu-Kakamega Highway that claimed 13 lives, and wished a swift recovery to those who sustained injuries.
As the festivities approach Kenyans are encouraged to exercise caution and follow safety rules to curb accidents and loss of lives.