This archive report was first published on 21 December 2019.
As the festive season gets underway, Kenyan roads are once again set to be patrolled by breathalysers, commonly known as 'alcoblow'.
According to Nairobi Area traffic police boss Joshua Omukata, the devices have been in use on Kenyan roads for some time, despite being quietly withdrawn in November due to corruption.
"We have always had breathalysers on the roads. It is not anything new," Omukata said in an interview with the Nation.
Highly placed sources within the security apparatus have revealed that the gadgets will also be reinstated on roads in Mombasa and Kisumu starting from Friday evening.
As part of efforts to reduce road fatalities, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the traffic police have vowed to be stricter in enforcing speed limits on the roads, particularly on public service vehicles (PSV).
According to data from the NTSA, at least 342 people died on the road in December 2018, with a large number of them being pedestrians.
